This one is wild because it’s part romance scam, part NFL cosplay.

Who was charged and how much:

Daejon Labrayae Love, 35 – the main actor. Also used aliases Jon Love, Jordan Love, Avril Lyto Love.
Taylor Jamie Chan, 18 – charged as his fake financial adviser.

Both charged by a criminal complaint in Portland, Oregon with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The FBI arrested them Aug 24 at Boise Airport after Chan flew in from California to meet Love, who agents say was in Idaho to find new victims.

Prosecutors say 26 victims identified so far, ∼$1.3 million taken, with the FBI saying there are likely many more across California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah.

How the scam worked:

The persona: On dating apps starting in Feb 2022, Love claimed to be a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver AND a wealthy Swiss real estate investor. He backed it with an Instagram account bio read “Grind don’t stop. Suisse made… NFL Wide Receiver @49ers #undrafted” full of photos/videos in Niners gear doing beach workouts, carrying the helmet to parties, running routes.

The romance hook: He convinced many victims they were in a sincere romantic relationship and wanted to build wealth and a future together.

The fake advisor: Chan would message Love things like “you should invest in this new opportunity” and Love would screenshot and forward it to victims. Then they’d do 3-way FaceTime calls showing falsified investment gains.

The fake proof: He used phone apps to create fictitious bank and investment account balances to show victims. If victims had no cash, he told them to take out personal loans, promising he’d repay quickly.

The exit: Once they had no more money or asked too many questions, he blocked them. None of the interviewed victims got any returns.

Why did it go viral this week:

The arrest was Aug 24, but the DOJ complaint was unsealed and picked up Aug 31/Sept 1, right in the NFL roster-cut dead zone. The internet found his old IG  which was then deleted  but screen recordings were everywhere.

Then it became a meme fuel:

People making fake Topps cards for him, fake transfer portal announcements 49ers WRs coach Leonard Hankerson posted a photoshopped image coaching Love in full 49ers gear, and former 49er Kendrick Bourne commented “Man I knew you was coaching him” with Hankerson replying “He was balling!!!”
Even MLB’s Guardians posted a lineup graphic with him.

The combo of the absurd visuals, the dating-app angle, and a real coach trolling him made it the offseason’s perfect story. Love is still held pending transfer to Oregon; Chan was released pending a Sept 10 courtesy date in Oregon.