Man allegedly posed as 49ers wide receiver in $1.3M romance scam

Two men have been arrested following an alleged yearslong romance fraud scheme in which one pretended to be a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, prosecutors said. 

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Daejon Labrayae Love and Taylor Jamie Chan were booked on Monday on suspicion of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Authorities said the men conned at least 26 people to the tune of $1.3 million thanks, in part, to social media photos of Love posing in 49ers gear.

On Tuesday, the Justice Department and the FBI published a news release detailing the alleged plot prosecutors say was carried out in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Screenshots from the criminal complaint show an Instagram profile filled with pictures of Love decked out in 49ers apparel and posing next to expensive sports cars. The account came complete with a bio reading, “Grind don’t stop. Suisse made. NFL Wide Receiver @49ers #undrafted Trust god.” — a near-perfect imitation of a professional athlete’s social media profile.

Investigators believe Love may have taken video clips from legitimate NFL players’ social media accounts and reused them, implying he was the featured player. He also allegedly made videos where he said he was friends with famous NFL wide receivers like Tyreek Hill, Antonio Brown and John Brown. 

An Instagram account that matches the one referenced in the criminal complaint includes multiple videos of Love running football drills, “touring” Levi’s Stadium and even a highlighted story celebrating the 49ers’ trip to Super Bowl 58. The videos celebrating the Super Bowl appearance were uploaded the week of Nov. 6, 2025 — nearly two years after the Super Bowl in question took place.

Despite this inconsistency, investigators noted that because of Love’s fake social media presence, “search engines and artificial intelligence occasionally stated that Love was a bonafide 49ers player.”

Love met women through online dating apps such as Facebook Dating, Bumble and Tinder, the complaint alleges. Prosecutors allege Love maintained romantic relationships with many of them while executing the con. Once he convinced one of them of his wealth, he would introduce them to Chan, who was posing as a financial adviser, investigators said. Chan and Love allegedly used an application called Fake Bank Account Pro to create phony mobile bank accounts with balances that, at least in one case, exceeded $30 million. Women sent Love money through popular apps like Apple Pay, Zelle and Venmo, and Love even “coached some victims on how and where to take out personal loans,” the complaint said. Once women started to become suspicious or ask for their money back, Love would cut off contact, wrote investigators.

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According to investigators, claiming to be a member of the 49ers was far from the only lie Love fed to the women he is accused of defrauding. In one instance, he pretended to be related to Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, the complaint alleged. In another, he allegedly said he had recently bought a house in Joshua Tree. In yet another, he claimed to be from a wealthy Swiss family, the complaint says.

The investigators said Love used the cash to fund a luxurious lifestyle of hotel stays and shopping sprees at Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Versace stores. 

The complaint notes that 49ers representatives were contacted by law enforcement and confirmed Love had no connection to the team or the NFL. 

Love and Chan are being held in Boise, Idaho, with court appearances set for Thursday. Prosecutors believe there are additional people who may have been defrauded and who have yet to come forward. The FBI is asking anyone with information to send tips to tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.