A woman who says she was allegedly targeted by accused NFL fraudster Daejon Love claims she warned the San Francisco 49ers about him eight months before his arrest.
Love and alleged accomplice Taylor Chan are accused of deceiving dozens of women by posing as a 49ers player. The pair were arrested on August 24 and charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Authorities allege the two defendants obtained approximately $1.3 million from women after Love used dating apps to present himself as either a 49ers player or a real estate investor.
Following Love’s arrest, the FBI said it had identified 35 additional potential victims.
ESPN reported last week that a source with the 49ers maintained the team had not been informed about Love until the FBI contacted the organization in August.
Gwen Herndon, however, now says she submitted a complaint about Love to the 49ers in December.
Daejon Love is accused of deceiving dozens of women while posing as a 49ers player
He allegedly used dating apps to approach women while claiming to be a 49ers player or real estate investor
ESPN reports that Herndon alerted the team to a federal investigation involving Love, described his alleged conduct and warned that ‘he is severely damaging the reputation of your team.’
‘I wanted you to be aware of the situation and hopefully proactive in denouncing his involvement on your team,’ Herndon wrote, according to ESPN.
About a week later, a Levi’s Stadium guest services account reportedly contacted Herndon, thanking her for ‘bringing this to our attention’ and encouraging her to notify law enforcement.
‘Our internal team will also monitor any instances of impersonation and take action as appropriate to protect fans and the team’s reputation. Thank you again for your vigilance and concern for the Niners community,’ the email continued, according to ESPN.
Our News Outlet has contacted the San Francisco 49ers for comment.
The FBI’s Portland office said its investigation into Love began in September 2024. Special agent in charge Doug Olson said last week that the 49ers had been ‘completely cooperative’ and ‘very helpful’ during the probe.
According to the criminal complaint, Love and Chan allegedly began creating fraudulent investment opportunities in February 2022, targeting women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California.
Prosecutors claim Love made initial contact with most of the women through dating apps, while Chan posed as his financial adviser and explained the supposed investment opportunities to build their confidence.
Love also allegedly fabricated bank and investment accounts, along with false balances, and displayed them to victims to make the purported scheme appear legitimate.
Love is accused of defrauding at least 26 women of $1.3 million and remains in custody
Love posted an AI-generated overview claiming he was a wide receiver for the NFL franchise
The alleged scheme also involved investment-related messages between Love and Chan, with Chan acting as Love’s adviser. Love reportedly sent screenshots of Chan’s messages to victims in an effort to persuade them to hand over money.
The pair also hosted three-way FaceTime calls in which they displayed falsified gains to victims, according to the criminal complaint.
As well as sending money they thought was being invested, victims also loaned Love large amounts. If they didn’t have money to invest, Love allegedly instructed victims to take out personal loans with the promise they would quickly get repaid.
Once they had no more money to invest, or if they asked too many questions, Love allegedly blocked his victims but kept their money.
He used several names including Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love, and Jordan Love, according to the criminal complaint.
