Woman says she reported alleged 49ers impersonator to team in December — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Gwen Herndon submitted a complaint via the 49ers' website on Dec. 20, 2025, warning the team about Daejon Love — a man allegedly impersonating a 49ers player and stealing money from women — eight months before Love's Aug. 24 arrest.
- The 49ers responded on Dec. 27, 2025 through a Levi's Stadium guest services account, saying they "take reports of individuals misrepresenting themselves as members of the San Francisco 49ers very seriously" but cannot comment on ongoing investigations.
- A Niners team source told ESPN the team received no reports about Love before the FBI contacted them in August, while a team spokesperson declined to confirm Herndon's email, citing the ongoing federal probe.
- Daejon Love and alleged co-conspirator Taylor Chan were arrested Aug. 24 and charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud; federal authorities say the duo defrauded more than two dozen women of approximately $1.3 million via dating-app scams.
- Portland FBI special agent Doug Olson said the 49ers were "completely cooperative" and announced Friday the agency has identified 35 additional potential victims since the August arrest.
- Herndon, a 24-year-old Oregon real estate agent, sued Love in small claims court in March 2025 alleging he took $10,000 for a fake investment, and ran four consecutive weeks of ads in Eugene Weekly to serve him with the lawsuit.
- The Portland FBI's investigation began Sept. 30, 2024, and both the 49ers and NFL confirmed to investigators that Love was never employed by either organization.
Why it matters: The 49ers face a credibility question: Herndon's December warning either reached the team and wasn't escalated, or never arrived. Either way, Love allegedly continued defrauding women for eight more months, and the FBI has since identified 35 additional potential victims beyond the two dozen named in the original complaint.
Ask SkimNews
