Fraudsters will go to great lengths to con their victims — even pretending to be an NFL player. According to NBC Bay Area, 35-year-old Daejon Labrayae Love allegedly defrauded 26 women out of $1.3 million in an elaborate investment and romance scheme.

According to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, Love allegedly met women on social media and posed either as a member of the San Francisco 49ers or as a wealthy real estate investor living a luxury lifestyle. He would then forge romantic relationships with the victims and claim he wanted to build wealth together with them. Celebrity impersonation is a recurring tactic in online fraud, since a recognizable name or an affluent persona can lend false credibility to an otherwise ordinary pitch.

Love and his alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Taylor Jamie Chan, created fictitious investment opportunities to convince victims in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California to invest their own money or take out personal loans. Chan's alleged role was that of Love's "investment adviser" — under this guise, he would send messages to Love encouraging him to invest in new opportunities. Love would then forward these messages to the victims, claiming they would generate large returns. Once the victims ran out of money or began asking too many questions, Love would block them. Encouraging victims to take out loans is a common feature of investment romance scams, deepening losses beyond the victims' savings.

Both men were recently arrested in Boise, Idaho. Each was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The charges are allegations at this stage; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Romance Scams Are More Common Than You'd Think

The case is an example of a romance scam, specifically a "pig butchering" scam, in which criminals forge close relationships with victims and convince them to invest in a fake investment vehicle. The term "pig butchering" refers to the practice of fattening up an animal before slaughter.

According to the FBI's latest Internet Crime Report, just over 23,000 romance scam complaints were made to the agency in 2025, with losses from these scams topping $929 million. Investment scams overall were the biggest loss driver last year at $8.6 billion.

Romance scams can be tied to investment opportunities, but they can also be classic cases of a "romantic interest" claiming to be going through hard times and asking for money to make ends meet or escape a difficult situation. Overall, victims lost $20.8 billion to swindles in 2025.

Romance Scam Red Flags to Watch Out For

Romance scams can take many forms, but like other scams, fraudsters are generally looking to manipulate victims into handing over their money.

If a romantic interest claims to need cash for a medical emergency or says they are stranded in another country, it is likely a scam — especially if you have never met the person in person. Similarly, if a love interest pushes you into a lucrative investment opportunity where returns appear too good to be true, they likely are.

In both cases, it is best to avoid cold social media and text outreach and trust your instincts when something does not feel right. It is also wise to be careful about what you post online, as cybercriminals use that information to better understand you when targeting you.

If you fall victim to a romance or investment scam, you should report it to the authorities immediately, including the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission, and file a police report. You should also contact your financial institution if you lost money. You may not get your money back if you initiated the wire transfer, but reporting can prevent more money from being withdrawn from your account if the criminal has your information.

If you surrendered personally identifiable data such as your Social Security number or full name to the criminal, it is worth freezing your credit with all three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — to ensure no new credit accounts can be opened in your name.

This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: "Man posed as a 49ers player and convinced 26 women to hand over $1.3 million in romance scam scheme." This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.