Daejon Love Accused of Posing as 49ers Player in $1.3M Dating App Scam

Federal prosecutors say Daejon Love posed as a San Francisco 49ers player to gain the trust of women he met on dating apps, then persuaded them to put money into purported investments. Authorities have identified at least 26 alleged victims in a scheme involving about $1.3 million.

Love's online persona became convincing enough that search engines and artificial intelligence sometimes identified him as an actual 49ers player. When FBI investigators searched "Daejon Love 49ers" in January, results included a LinkedIn profile describing him as an NFL receiver.

Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, are accused in federal court in Oregon of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. They were arrested Aug. 24 at Boise Airport in Idaho. Prosecutors allege the scheme ran from at least February 2022 through March 2026.

Love allegedly developed romantic relationships with women he met through Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and Facebook Dating. Some were told he played wide receiver for the 49ers, while others were told he came from a wealthy Swiss family involved in real estate. He also used several names, including Avril Lyto Love and Jordan Love, according to investigators.

Social media helped reinforce the story. Love posted photos and videos in 49ers gear, allegedly repurposed content from real NFL players and filmed himself signing what he portrayed as a contract with the team. The NFL and the 49ers told investigators that he had never worked for either organization.

Financial records show Love spent more than $1,160 with a custom football helmet seller and also made purchases from a company that sells realistic prop money. Investigators found additional payments to services that sell social media followers, likes and views, purchases the FBI alleges helped strengthen his online image.

Love also displayed luxury vehicles, jewelry and designer goods and showed women financial accounts purportedly worth millions of dollars. One account appeared to contain more than $30 million. Investigators said the application used appeared to be Fake Bank Account Pro, which allows users to create fictional banking balances.

Chan allegedly posed as Love's financial adviser and joined FaceTime calls with prospective investors. Messages recovered from their iCloud accounts show Love directing Chan to create multimillion-dollar account screenshots. In February 2024, Love allegedly asked for a stock account appearing to contain $11 million and said he would FaceTime Chan to "make someone believe" him.

Women were allegedly promised investments that could double or triple their money within days. Some were encouraged to take out personal loans after being told the returns would arrive before their first payments were due.

The FBI says Love also showed victims apparent gains through Pocket Option, an online trading platform that offers a demo mode using fictional funds. Screenshots shown to different women sometimes displayed the same account identification number despite carrying different names and balances.

One woman identified as A.T. allegedly lost $87,500 after putting $45,000 into a purported investment and later helping Love lease a $250,000 McLaren using a fake payroll document showing she earned about $50,000 a month. She eventually paid $30,000 to break the lease, according to the complaint.

An FBI review of accounts belonging to Love and Daejon Love Enterprises found approximately $1.38 million in incoming funds from January 2021 through June 2025. Investigators identified no payroll deposits from the 49ers or another legitimate employer and no genuine securities-related transactions.

Roughly half of those funds were withdrawn in cash or moved through peer-to-peer payment services. Much of the remainder was spent on travel and entertainment, restaurants, clothing and accessories, automobiles and other expenses, according to the FBI's analysis.

The alleged 49ers persona could be relevant to the wire fraud charges if prosecutors establish that it was a material deception used to persuade victims to part with their money. Federal wire fraud law also requires proof of intent to defraud and the use of interstate electronic communications. The conspiracy charge requires prosecutors to prove that Love and Chan knowingly agreed to participate in the alleged scheme.

The FBI is continuing to look for potential victims. The federal complaint was approved Aug. 17 after U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie Russo found probable cause to support the charges. Love and Chan are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.