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The internet spent the entire weekend locked in on the story of Daejon Love, and once you start going through the details, it’s easy to see why. Federal prosecutors say Love spent years convincing women that he was either a San Francisco 49ers player or a wealthy real estate investor, complete with 49ers gear, luxury cars, fake financial accounts and an alleged accomplice posing as his investment adviser. Authorities say at least 26 women were convinced to hand over roughly $1.3 million, with some even taking out personal loans after being promised huge investment returns. Love and alleged accomplice Taylor Jamie Chan were arrested at Boise Airport on August 24 and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
Then the internet started digging, and somehow the story got even wilder. Videos surfaced of Love seemingly staging his own 49ers contract signing, talking about the NFL lifestyle and showing women supposed luxury homes, cars and jewelry. The situation even helped lead social media sleuths to another man whose supposed NFL résumé didn’t add up. And while the Love case sounds almost too ridiculous to be real, he’s far from the first person whose alleged — or proven — scheme has become an internet legend.
Daejon Love
Love allegedly built one of the more elaborate fake-athlete personas we’ve seen online, telling women he played for the 49ers while also presenting himself as a successful investor. Prosecutors say he and Chan showed victims fabricated account balances and investment gains, sometimes during three-way FaceTime calls, before convincing women to transfer money or take out loans. Investigators say none of the identified victims received investment returns, and the FBI believes there could be additional victims. Love has only been charged, meaning these accusations have not yet been proven in court.
