The FBI has identified 35 additional women who say they were defrauded by Daejon Love and Taylor Chan, bringing the total number of alleged victims in the sprawling case to more than 60. The update came Friday from the FBI’s Portland field office, and the scale of the alleged scheme surprised even investigators. Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson said the new wave of accusers arrived after the initial criminal complaint was filed, and agents are now working to verify their accounts. “We were surprised how many people were victimized in such a short period of time and then to have that many more come forward,” 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.” Olson’s worry about copycats was not a passing thought. The methods allegedly used by Love and Chan were detailed, technological, and emotionally sophisticated. They did not rely on a single lie; they built worlds around each victim, complete with false identities, fake investment accounts, and what authorities described as AI-reinforced illusions. The news conference was also a direct appeal to anyone who may still be suffering in silence. Olson stressed that the FBI believes there are more victims who have yet to come forward and that embarrassment or fear should not stand in the way of reporting. He made clear that investigators want to help, not judge. Behind every number, Olson suggested, is a woman who entered what she believed was a real relationship and was then manipulated into becoming part of a financial crime.
The investigation into Love and Chan began Sept. 30, 2024, and authorities have said the alleged fraud stretched from February 2022 through the day the two men were arrested at the Boise, Idaho, airport in August. Both men now face federal charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the criminal complaint, Love and Chan stole more than $1.3 million from 26 known victims across at least four states. That complaint, however, may represent only the beginning of the story. The 35 new accusers announced Friday raise the alleged victim count beyond 60, and Olson indicated that the number could continue to grow. He described the volume of victims as remarkable for only two defendants. The case also raises uncomfortable questions about how easily trust can be weaponized in the digital age. Love, 35, is accused of being the architect of the fraud. He allegedly used dating apps and social media to find women and then crafted personas designed to seem both desirable and financially stable. Chan, 18, is accused of assisting him, sometimes posing as Love’s financial adviser to reassure victims that their money would be handled responsibly. Authorities say the scheme was not random or opportunistic; it was organized, rehearsed, and tailored to each woman. The FBI’s investigation remains open, and Olson said the agency is working methodically to verify the accounts of the 35 new accusers. Victim verification is not always quick, he suggested, because it requires examining communications, financial records, and the sophisticated trail of false documents allegedly created by the defendants. But the pace of new reports has made one thing clear to investigators: the damage caused by Love and Chan is far larger than originally known.
At the center of the alleged scheme was what Olson called a “bespoke” approach to fraud. Not every woman met the same character, and not every story followed the exact same script. Love supposedly studied what his targets wanted and then became that person for them. In some cases, he posed as a San Francisco 49ers player. In others, he presented himself as a wealthy Swiss real estate investor. The common thread was money and affection. Love built emotional connections with the women, made them feel special, and then found reasons to ask for money. Chan, according to the criminal complaint, helped convince the women that the money was going into a legitimate investment opportunity. He allegedly played the role of an adviser, lending an air of professional credibility to the scheme. Olson said the fraud combined fake personas, fabricated investment accounts, staged video calls, and AI-reinforced false identities. The level of detail was startling. If a woman wanted to verify who Love was, there were media links and online profiles waiting for her. “He was either a player, former player, a player on injured reserve, and whatever name he was using, he’d put enough stuff into the media searches so it was the first thing that came up on people’s page,” Olson said. “And it was not just the first thing that came up; it was like there were multiple things in there that would confirm whatever he was telling those folks. … The sports thing was always like a big part of it because you have to have some source of initial income to be an investor.” The athletic personas were particularly effective because they explained wealth in a way that seemed tangible. A professional athlete would reasonably have money to invest, an injury would explain time available, and a social media presence could be curated to make the lie feel true. None of it was real. But by the time the women realized that, many had already sent money to a phantom future.
The emotional dimension of the case is impossible to ignore. Olson described the victims as exactly the kind of people who should not have been vulnerable. “The victims in this case were targeted precisely because they were trusting, responsible people who they believed were building genuine relationships and legitimate financial futures,” he said. “They were deliberately manipulated through an extremely sophisticated scheme that blended fake personas, fabricated investment accounts, staged video calls and AI-reinforced false identities.” This is a crucial point: the women did not fail to be suspicious; they were methodically conditioned to trust. Love did not simply say he was wealthy. He built an entire reality around that claim, making it seem reckless not to believe him. The abuse of trust is what makes the financial loss so painful. Victims are left not only with empty bank accounts but with the realization that their most private hopes were used as tools against them. A relationship that once felt like a source of joy and safety becomes a source of shame and confusion. Olson acknowledged that this dynamic may explain why some victims have not yet come forward. They may wonder how they could have been fooled, or they may still be sorting through the difference between the person they thought they knew and the person Love actually is. The FBI’s message is intended to counter that shame. Investigators see the victims not as naive or foolish but as survivors of a carefully engineered con. By stepping forward, the 35 new accusers have helped law enforcement understand how the scheme worked and how it evolved. Their accounts also serve as a warning to other women who may recognize the patterns: sudden declarations of affection, promises of investment income, and a reluctance to meet in person.
The use of the San Francisco 49ers name was a significant part of Love’s strategy, and the team has been drawn into the case. A Niners team source told ESPN that the club was not aware of Love and had not received any reports about him before it was contacted by the FBI in August. According to Olson, the team cooperated fully with investigators. “They were completely cooperative,” he said. “They were very helpful in doing things that most people think are probably pretty simple, but it’s not always that easy to confirm. Like, this person was, like, never an employee, never a player, not even ever in the NFL. They were able to help with a lot of that stuff.” While the team was an unwitting part of the deception, its image was important to the fraud’s realism. An NFL player would have a legitimate reason to be wealthy, to travel, to be in demand, and to have a public profile that could be verified. Love reportedly constructed enough digital footprint around his fake player identities that a quick search appeared to confirm his stories. The 49ers were not the only institution used in this way. The alleged scheme also involved a fabricated Swiss real estate investor persona, fake financial accounts, and what authorities described as staged video calls meant to look like evidence that Love was who he claimed to be. These elements were not random embellishments; they were carefully chosen details designed to withstand the basic checks that a cautious person might run. In that sense, the fraud was not about tricking gullible people. It was about creating such a dense web of false proof that suspicion seemed unreasonable.
The FBI is asking anyone who has information about Love and Chan to contact the Portland field office. Olson said the agency believes additional victims may still be waiting in the shadows, and he encouraged them to ignore any sense of embarrassment. He repeated that investigators do not want fear or shame to prevent anyone from reporting what happened. That statement may be the most important part of Friday’s announcement. For the women who have already contacted the FBI, the act of speaking up is a step toward reclaiming their lives. For those who haven’t, the message is that they will be believed, supported, and protected. The case against Love and Chan is still developing. The two men have been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and the criminal complaint outlines more than $1.3 million in losses tied to 26 known victims in at least four states. With the addition of 35 new accusers, the scope of the case has expanded significantly. Olson’s warning about the possibility of copycat schemes is a reminder that fraud is not a victimless crime. It leaves financial wreckage and emotional scar tissue that can last long after the money is gone. For investigators, every new victim account is not just another statistic; it is a piece of evidence that can help dismantle the entire web of deception. And for the women themselves, coming forward may offer something that was stolen from them during the months or years they spent inside the illusion: the chance to be heard.