A woman who says she was scammed by a man pretending to be a San Francisco 49ers player told ESPN she alerted the team months before his arrest.
Gwen Herndon, a 24-year-old real estate agent from Oregon, said she emailed the 49ers in December of 2025 after being victimized by Daejon Love, who allegedly posed as a 49ers player to con her out of more than $10,000. In her message, Herndon wrote, "There is a federal investigation surrounding a man pretending to be a 49ers player...he is severely damaging the reputation of your team," and added, "I wanted you to be aware of the situation and hopefully proactive in denouncing his involvement on your team."
Herndon said Love pitched her an investment opportunity, took the money and then disappeared when she tried to get it back. She later sued him in small claims civil court in March of 2025 and also reported the case to police in Eugene, Oregon. To warn others, she created a Facebook group called "Victims of Jon Love."
Love was arrested on August 24 after reportedly scamming dozens of women over several years. He was accused of using a fake social media and dating app identity as a 49ers player to take in a reported $1.3 million, and of tricking at least 26 women into believing they were starting serious relationships with a football player. Love and his associate, 18-year-old Taylor Chan, were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The 49ers told Herndon in their email response that they take impersonation claims seriously but could not comment because of legal and safety concerns. They also told her to contact law enforcement directly.
Their response said, "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," and continued, "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."
Herndon said the reply suggested the issue was already being looked into. ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler also reported that the 49ers said last month they had not been told about Love’s alleged criminal activity until the FBI informed them in August. The Portland FBI office opened its investigation into Love in September of 2024, and FBI special agent in charge Doug Olson told Kahler that the unit has found 35 more victims since Love’s arrest.
Still, Herndon said she was left unsure whether her warning made any difference. "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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