A woman who says she was scammed by a man posing as a San Francisco 49ers player says she warned the team about him months before his arrest.
Gwen Herndon, a 24-year-old real estate agent from Oregon, told ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler that she emailed the 49ers in December of 2025 to flag Daejon Love’s alleged impersonation. In that message, she wrote, “There is a federal investigation surrounding a man pretending to be a 49ers player...he is severely damaging the reputation of your team,” adding, “I wanted you to be aware of the situation and hopefully proactive in denouncing his involvement on your team.”
Herndon said Love took more than $10,000 from her after pitching what he claimed was an investment opportunity. When she tried to get her money back, she said he vanished.
She later sued him in small claims civil court in March of 2025 and also reported the case to police in Eugene, Oregon. To try to warn others, she created a Facebook group called “Victims of Jon Love.”
Love was arrested on August 24 after authorities said he had defrauded at least 26 women by pretending to be a 49ers wide receiver and building a fake social media and dating app persona. He and his associate, 18-year-old Taylor Chan, were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The alleged scheme involved conning women into believing they were starting serious relationships with a football player, and Love was accused of stealing a reported $1.3 million.
The 49ers responded to Herndon’s email by saying they take impersonation claims seriously but are limited in what they can say while investigations are ongoing. “We take reports of individuals misrepresenting themselves as members of the San Francisco 49ers very seriously.
For safety and legal reasons, the team cannot comment on ongoing investigations or specific individuals,” the team said. “However, we appreciate you bringing this to our attention and encouraging proactive measures to protect the integrity of the organization.
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.”
Kahler also reported that the 49ers later said they had not received any reports about Love’s criminal activity until the FBI contacted them in August. The Portland, Oregon FBI office opened an investigation into Love in September of 2024, and FBI special agent in charge Doug Olson told Kahler that the unit has found another 35 victims since Love’s arrest.
Herndon said she was left uncertain about what happened after she raised the alarm.
“I trusted the Niners and believed them in saying there wasn't much that they could do,” Herndon said. “It was enough for me to know that they knew.
In their own right, I also think that they are a victim. It's unfortunate that it was possible that it [the email] wasn't escalated and seen the way I hoped it was.”
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