A California man allegedly posed as a wealthy real estate investor from Switzerland and a San Francisco 49ers football player to convince women he met on dating apps to give him money for purported investments, in a scheme prosecutors claim defrauded at least 26 victims of about $1.3 million.
Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, of Sacramento County, allegedly told some of the women that his family was one of the wealthiest in Switzerland and that he came to the United States to purchase properties for his family’s commercial real estate company.
Love also claimed he was a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, using the imagery of an NFL player to support his claims of wealth, according to an FBI affidavit.
But the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Oregon said in a press release Wednesday that the so-called investment opportunities were fake and the money obtained from the victims was never used as promised.
Love appeared in federal court Tuesday in Portland, OR, where he pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Love will remain in custody until his trial begins on Dec. 15.
Federal prosecutors allege Love and his co-conspirator, Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, targeted at least 26 women in Oregon, Washington state and California between February 2022 and March 2026.
Under a slew of aliases, Love used dating apps including Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and Facebook Dating to build romantic relationships before luring them into fake investment opportunities with fabricated financial records and promises of high returns, according to the affidavit.
He showed women videos of luxury homes, designer clothing, expensive watches and cash, presenting the possessions as proof of his wealth, according to the affidavit, allegedly telling the women he wanted to build a future with them and that investing would provide them both with financial stability.
Chan is accused of posing as Love’s financial advisor, creating the illusion that he had access to unique investment opportunities and millions of dollars.
Love reportedly offered his victims an “expedited account,” which he said was a way for businesses to quickly obtain cash via short-term loans. According to the affidavit, Love told the victims that he could double or triple their money in seven to 10 days.
The men used fake bank balances, altered trading screenshots and falsified financial documents to make the investments look legitimate, investigators said. Love allegedly used an app called “Fake Bank Account Pro” to show a woman a bank account that appeared to have over $30 million in it.
In one case, a woman identified in the affidavit as “G.H.” claimed she was told by Chan that she could invest in a real estate investment trust and receive an initial return of $300 to $400 per day, and that the return would increase to $1,000 per day.
She transferred $8,000 using Apple Pay and gave Love $2,000 in cash, investigators said. Love allegedly showed G.H. a screenshot of a FaceTime call which appeared to show her $10,000 investment had grown to $10,453 in just a few days.
Love asked G.H. to invest more money, but she declined. G.H. did not receive any money back, according to the affidavit.
Another woman, identified as I.H., met Love in July 2023, claimed Love offered to help her find an apartment. She said Love requested $7,000, but told her that he would keep the money and give it back to her at any time she wanted it.
Investigators reported that I.H. transferred the $7,000 to Love using Apple Pay, but Love never obtained the apartment as promised. I.H reportedly came across information suggesting Love was a scammer and she demanded her money back. She reportedly never received it.
A woman identified as A.T. reportedly lost $87,500 after dating Love from 2022 to April 2023. Investigators say she was persuaded by Love to transfer $20,000 into his bank account, while also handing over $20,000 in cash and sending $5,000 to an associate for what were supposed to be investments.
When she did not receive any money from the promised returns, Love allegedly showed her statements that appeared to show her money was growing and provided her with reasons why she had not received any payments.
A.T. had also reportedly loaned Love an additional $19,500 after he told her he needed money to help his family. Love later repaid $13,800 of this loan through an associate, according to the affidavit.
Investigators found that 26 women had given money to Love or Chan thinking that they were investing their money. None of the women interviewed said that they received any investment proceeds or a return on their principal, as stated in the affidavit.
Instead, the money was used for personal expenses, including travel, hotel stays, luxury clothing, jewelry, vehicle leases, NFL merchandise, adult entertainment and child support.
Investigators did not find any evidence Love received legitimate employment income from the 49ers or any other employer, as stated in the affidavit. The funds were primarily obtained through cash deposits and transfers through payment applications such as Apple Pay, Cash App, Zelle and Venmo, which investigators say were methods Love and Chan used to obtain funds from the victims.
Representatives from both the NFL and the 49ers told investigators that Love had never worked for either organization.
Love is being represented by Ellie Riegel, Assistant Federal Public Defender for the District of Oregon. Realtor.com has contacted Riegel for comment.
If convicted, Love faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He could also be required to forfeit property obtained through the alleged scheme.
