Federal prosecutors have charged two men in Portland, Oregon, who allegedly orchestrated a multi-state romance and investment scam spanning several cities by pretending to be an undrafted San Francisco 49ers wide receiver and his financial adviser, according to the U.S. Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, face federal charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud after allegedly defrauding at least 26 women out of approximately $1.3 million.
The scheme, which federal investigators state ran from February 2022 until the suspects’ arrest on Monday at the Boise Airport in Idaho, targeted victims across California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Love primarily used dating applications to meet women and establish personal relationships, fabricating an elaborate backstory as an NFL player who made the 49ers roster through hard work despite going undrafted.
How the Fake NFL Romance and Investment Scam Operated
According to federal court documents and investigators, Love utilized social media profiles to present himself as a professional athlete. To lend legitimacy to the charade, Love allegedly posted a screenshot of an artificial intelligence-generated web summary claiming he was a San Francisco wide receiver with public records tracking his position, contract, and team interactions. When confronted or questioned about online discrepancies, investigators note that Love would brush it off by claiming, “That’s Google. No soy yo, es Google.”
The operation involved a coordinated effort with his co-defendant. Taylor Chan allegedly posed as Love’s financial adviser. Court filings indicate that Love and Chan would organize three-way phone calls with victims to display falsified investment returns. When targets did not have immediate liquid cash to put into the fraudulent schemes, the FBI reported that Love instructed the women to secure personal loans under the false assurance that the money would be rapidly repaid.
Multi-State Travel and Further Victims Identified
Investigators note that Love traveled extensively across New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho beginning July 15. During the course of the operation, authorities state that Love used several aliases, including Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love, and Jordan Love.
Federal prosecutors have identified 26 potential victims linked to the conspiracy, though law enforcement officials believe the actual total could be higher given the geographic spread of the operation. Following their arrest in Idaho, Love and Chan are scheduled to make their initial appearance in federal court in Portland.
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