Federal investigators say they have identified 35 additional potential victims of Daejon Love, bringing the total number of women connected to the alleged romance-and-investment scheme to 61.

The original criminal complaint identified 26 women allegedly defrauded by Love and his accused co-conspirator, Taylor Jamie Chan. Those women reportedly lost approximately $1.3 million, although investigators say the number of victims and total financial losses could increase.

Love, 35, allegedly met women through Tinder, Bumble and Facebook Dating while presenting himself as a San Francisco 49ers player, former NFL athlete or wealthy real-estate investor. Chan, 18, allegedly posed as his financial adviser.

Both men have been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The allegations have not been proved in court.

More Than a Man Carrying a Football Helmet

The story has generated plenty of jokes because Love reportedly wore 49ers clothing, carried a football helmet and posted videos that appeared to connect him to the team.

However, the complaint describes something more sophisticated than an ordinary impersonation.

Investigators say Love built an extensive digital identity using football footage, luxury cars, designer clothing and material taken from genuine NFL players. The false information allegedly became so widespread that search engines and artificial-intelligence tools sometimes described him as a legitimate 49ers player.

That undermines the popular claim that the women could have discovered everything through a simple Google search. Search results are not background checks, particularly when someone has deliberately manipulated the information appearing online.

The 49ers confirmed that Love has never been associated with the team or the NFL.

Romance Became the Gateway

Prosecutors allege that Love established romantic relationships before introducing the women to Chan, who supposedly managed his multimillion-dollar fortune.

The men allegedly participated in three-way video calls and displayed fabricated bank and investment accounts. One fake account reportedly showed a balance of more than $30 million.

Women were encouraged to transfer money through Apple Pay, Zelle and Venmo. Some were allegedly coached on obtaining personal loans. Once they had no more money or began demanding answers, Love reportedly ended contact.

Online commenters have mocked the women and questioned their intelligence, but FBI Portland special agent Douglas Olson condemned that reaction.

“Victim blaming is unjust and it’s harmful,” Olson said, noting the calculated manipulation allegedly used against them.

There are valuable lessons here about independently verifying investments and never borrowing money on a romantic partner’s advice. But that is different from treating alleged victims as the punchline.

Public humiliation makes people less willing to report fraud, and that ultimately protects scammers, not potential victims.

Love and Chan were arrested in August and remain accused, not convicted. The FBI believes more potential victims may still come forward.

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