Ex-Dating App User Exposes Alleged NFL Player Scam: ‘Too Good to Be True’
POLICY WIRE — City, Country — Ayana Velasquez, who connected with Daejon Love via a dating app nearly five years ago, claims she quickly grew suspicious of his extravagant claims. Love, now accused...
POLICY WIRE — City, Country — Ayana Velasquez, who connected with Daejon Love via a dating app nearly five years ago, claims she quickly grew suspicious of his extravagant claims. Love, now accused by federal authorities of impersonating an NFL player and real estate investor to swindle over two dozen women out of $1.3 million, initially went by the name “Jonathan”. Velasquez only discovered his true identity when his photo appeared in a news article.
Love, 35, and his alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Taylor Jamie Chan, were apprehended by the FBI on August 24. Both face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. Prosecutors assert that the duo defrauded 26 women of over $1 million, with Love purportedly misleading women into believing they were in genuine romantic relationships with him.
Velasquez recalled Love boasting about his family\’s supposed wealth, claiming they were “one of the richest families in Switzerland” and owned properties in the United States. However, she became doubtful of his stories, especially when he mentioned having a private chef, which she dismissed as implausible.
The pair lost contact until 2024, when Love contacted Velasquez again, claiming he was now in the NFL. Velasquez, however, remained skeptical, noting, It just seemed too good to be true. She received numerous photos and videos from Love purporting to show him as a San Francisco 49ers player. Upon checking the metadata, she discovered the footage was screen-recorded, leading her to block him immediately.
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Federal prosecutors claim Love duped many of his victims into believing they were in sincere relationships, encouraging them to lend him substantial sums. Chan allegedly posed as Love\’s investment advisor, urging women to send money for purportedly lucrative investments. Although Velasquez did not fall for the scam, she empathized with those who did, noting that a simple roster check would have revealed Love\’s false claims.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
