A woman claims she reported the alleged Daejon Love scam to the San Francisco 49ers eight months before his August arrest, a revelation that completely tanks the team’s prior statement of unawareness. Gwen Herndon told ESPN she submitted a complaint on the 49ers’ official website back in December 2025, laying out the whole sordid mess while a 49ers source previously told ESPN the franchise knew nothing until the FBI reached out last month. That’s a huge problem.
The “Star Athlete” Scam That Fooled Almost Three Dozen Women
Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, landed in cuffs this past August, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud alongside an 18-year-old alleged accomplice, Taylor Jamie Chan. Love, who had been posing as a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver on social media, reportedly targeted nearly three dozen women. How much did he allegedly swindle them for? Over a million dollars, all through bogus investment schemes. This wasn’t some small-time operation either; authorities say Love met most of his victims on dating apps, then brought in Chan to help seal the deal. The whole scheme relied on Love flashing a lavish lifestyle. We’re talking pictures of him in 49ers gear, flexing in front of exotic cars, crafting a completely fictitious persona to reel in his victims. What a low blow.
The Complaint That the 49ers Seemingly Ignored
Here’s where things get wild. Herndon, one of the alleged victims, states she tried to warn the 49ers way back in December 2025. She sent a complaint directly through the team’s official website, saying there was “a federal investigation surrounding a man pretending to be a 49ers player,” that he stole money, and was “severely damaging the reputation of your team.” She wanted the team to be “aware of the situation and hopefully proactive in denouncing his involvement.” Think about that: a direct, specific warning. The response Herndon got was from a Levi’s Stadium guest services account on December 27, 2025. It acknowledged the seriousness of individuals misrepresenting themselves as 49ers members, stated they couldn’t comment on ongoing investigations “for safety and legal reasons,” but appreciated her vigilance and said their “internal team will also monitor any instances of impersonation.” They even encouraged contacting law enforcement directly. Sounds like a boilerplate response, doesn’t it? But does “monitoring” mean passing it up the chain, or just keeping an eye on public social media?
What This Means For the 49ers’ Reputation
Now, a 49ers spokesperson is declining to comment on Herndon’s message or even confirm it exists. That silence is deafening, especially when the FBI has gone on record saying the 49ers have been “completely cooperative” in their investigation. Cooperative with the FBI, maybe, but what about proactive with their own fans? This whole saga raises serious questions about how seriously the team takes complaints from the public, particularly those detailing federal investigations and significant damage to their brand. Did “guest services” just brush it aside? It’s unclear if anyone beyond guest services even reviewed Herndon’s complaint. This isn’t just about one bad actor; it’s about the trust fans place in their team. We’ll be keeping a close eye on how this develops, because the heat is definitely on the 49ers to explain exactly what happened with that December 2025 warning.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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