Staff Reports
A story out of late August shows how fast charm and a fake uniform can turn into a million-dollar crime. Federal agents say Daejon Labrayae Love, who allegedly pretended to be a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, and an accomplice, Taylor Jamie Chan, ran a romance-and-investment fraud that reportedly pulled about $1.3 million from more than two dozen women. The Department of Justice and the FBI have charged both men with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Read on so you don’t become the next mark.
How the fake 49ers player allegedly pulled it off
Prosecutors say Love, 35, met women on dating apps and built a glossy, fake life online. He posted staged “NFL journey” clips, pictures of luxury cars and said he was a 49ers receiver. Chan, 18, allegedly posed as Love’s financial adviser and joined three‑way FaceTime calls to show fake account screenshots. The complaint says the two used doctored images and scripted messages to convince victims to wire money or take loans to invest. Victims who pressed questions were reportedly blocked once the cash flowed. All of this is alleged in the DOJ filings — but the screenshots and FaceTime logs released by authorities are alarming.
Why this case matters: romance scams meet fake finance
This isn’t just a sad dating story — it’s the modern con game. The FBI and FTC have been warning about social‑media and romance-linked investment scams for years. When you mix the trust people give in romance with fake financial proof, the losses can add up fast. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Oregon — led in this case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Chinwuba and Chris Cardani — made clear that investigators found victims across multiple states. If social platforms and dating apps want to keep their users safe, they’ll have to do more than run ads and hope for the best.
Justice, arrests and what the victims face
Federal agents arrested Love and Chan at the Boise airport in late August after obtaining arrest warrants. The DOJ released a criminal complaint and images that prosecutors say show how the fraud worked. Authorities believe there may be more victims beyond the 26 identified so far. The charges carry serious penalties if the defendants are convicted, and the FBI is asking anyone with information to come forward. For the women who lost money, criminal cases can help with accountability, but recovering cash is often slow and uncertain.
How to protect yourself from romance-and-investment scams
Red flags to watch
It’s simple: if love comes with investment pressure, walk away. Beware of flashy social‑media pages that feel scripted, “advisers” who appear out of nowhere, FaceTime calls that dodge real proof, and screenshots that can be faked on a phone in five minutes. Verify by contacting official team rosters, ask for independent financial documents (not screenshots), and don’t borrow money to invest for someone you barely know. If you think you’re a victim, report the fraud to the FBI’s tip line and the FTC. And maybe stop treating Instagram stories as airtight evidence — that “That’s Google, not me” defense sounds quaint until your bank account is empty.
