A woman says she contacted the San Francisco 49ers last year to report that someone was impersonating a player and that she was a victim of his scams.
According to a report from ESPN.com, Gwen Herndon said she contacted the 49ers on Dec. 20, 2025, via a "complaint/concern" form. Her message said that "there is a federal investigation surrounding a man pretending to be a 49ers player."
The man, 35-year-old Daejon Love, was named in the complaint, and Herndon added that Love stole money from her and that he was "severely damaging the reputation of your team."
"It was apparent to me that there were so many victims and there were going to continue to be victims unless a public statement was made and was very visible," Herndon told ESPN. "I knew that based
on how fast he was moving."
Herndon received a response from the team's general guest services account on Dec. 27, stating they take "reports of individuals misrepresenting themselves as members of the San Francisco 49ers very seriously," and they couldn't comment on investigations of specific people.
Herndon sued Love in Oregon small claims court last year, alleging that she gave Love $10,000 for a property investment idea. When she asked for her money back, Herndon said Love blocked communication with her.
Love and 18-year-old Taylor Chan, 18 were arrested last month at the Boise, Idaho airport by the FBI and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
Federal authorities say that Love and Chan created fictitious investments to defraud numerous women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California, with Love meeting most of the women on the Internet through dating apps. Authorities say he defrauded more than 20 women out of approximately $1.3 million.
Last week, the FBI said 35 more women have said they were scammed by Love and Chan, bringing the total number of alleged victims to more than 60.
"We were surprised how many people were victimized in such a short period of time and then to have that many more come forward," Portland FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson said at a news conference. "It's a large volume for just a couple of subjects. Our concern is that this fraud could be replicated by other individuals that are out there victimizing other people in similar schemes."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman says she warned 49ers about fake player scam months before arrest
