Long before the fake San Francisco 49ers player Daejon Love was exposed and arrested, a woman allegedly reported him to the NFL team.
A woman, Gwen Herndon, told ESPN that she had reported Love to the 49ers, submitting a claim (a “complaint/concern”) on the team's website in December 2025, which was eight months before he was arrested.
She knew other women had to have been scammed, and she wanted to alert the team, saying, “I wanted you to be aware of the situation and hopefully proactive in denouncing his involvement on 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,” she said. “I knew that based on how fast he was moving.”
In the complaint, the woman noted that “there is a federal investigation surrounding a man pretending to be a 49ers player.” She named Love and claimed he stole money from women. She also alleged that “he is severely damaging the reputation of your team.”
The woman received a response from a general Levi's Stadium guest services rep, who claimed, “We take reports of individuals misrepresenting themselves as members of the San Francisco 49ers very seriously.” However, they were unable to comment on ongoing investigations or specific individuals.
“If you have information that could assist law enforcement or legal authorities, we encourage you to contact the appropriate agencies directly. Our internal team will also monitor any instances of impersonation and take action as appropriate to protect fans and the team's reputation. Thank you again for your vigilance and concern for the Niners community,” the rep added.
There was no further communication between the woman and the 49ers after this email exchange. It's unknown whether or not the 49ers ever saw the complaint. The Niners alleged that they hadn't received any reports about Love before contacting the FBI in August 2026. A 49ers rep declined to comment on the email's existence due to the investigation being ongoing.
Love and Taylor Chan, his alleged partner in crime, were arrested on Aug. 24. They were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to federal authorities, they scammed over two dozen women out of $1.3 million.
Love claimed to be a “legitimately wealthy” player for the 49ers or a real estate agent to solicit money from women he met on dating apps. He was wearing Niners gear when he was arrested.