'Wide deceiver': Man accused of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player, scamming 26 women out of $1.3M — here are the red flags Netflix will expose

Laura BoastSun, October 18, 2026 at 10:30 AM UTC

0

At least one woman has come forward to share her close call.

Netflix has announced its latest costume drama — Untold: Wide Deceiver — a documentary about Daejon Love, a California man who posed as a pro footballer with the San Francisco 49ers in a romance scam that allegedly defrauded dozens of women out of more than $1.3 million.

“Told firsthand by Love’s victims, Untold: Wide Deceiver will unpack the internet nickname and the far darker story it exposed,” the press release reads.

Must Read -

Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here’s what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP

A single line on your car insurance policy could be inflating your premium by up to 30% — here's what to change

Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one

Love, 35, and his alleged accomplice Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, were arrested in September. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury in Portland charged Love with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty and will stand trial by Dec. 15.

According to FBI Special Agent Douglas Olson, Love didn’t just pose as a professional football player, but also as a wealthy Swiss real estate developer. He used a variety of aliases including Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love and Jordan Love and worked alongside Taylor Chan to convince women to invest money for phenomenal returns.

If convicted, Love could face 20 years in prison, three years’ supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He would have to forfeit any proceeds of crime.

The allegations have yet to be proven in court, but Netflix is already lining up the production. At least one woman has stepped forward to share her experience with Love in the media.

One woman’s defense against fake footballer’s play

Domonique DuBose appeared on Kurt Knutsson’s Fox News podcast, The Cyberguy Report, to describe what happened when she met Love on the dating app Hinge. Love’s profile stated that he was an NFL receiver. He wanted DuBose’s number right away; she shared her work number, not her personal number, to be safe.

DuBose said Love then made her uncomfortable as he inundated her with videos and recordings like “So what’s up, beautiful? I had to shoot my shot with you.” DuBose said she became increasingly uneasy as he made claims about coming from a wealthy family in Switzerland and talked about his significant investments.

She fact-checked his claims — particularly his alleged NFL career — looking up the 49ers’ team roster. She couldn’t find his name attached to any football league.

DuBose also thought it odd that he was constantly posing in 49ers’ gear. She said real football players don’t wear their uniforms in every post. She cut off contact with Love, but was left with questions about the security of online dating.

“You can be whoever you want on those dating apps. And that’s the scary part,” she told Knuttson.

Read More: Here’s the average income of Americans by age in 2026. Are you keeping up or falling behind?

Advertisement

Background checks are tougher in the age of AI

Daejon Love's social media feed, shared by U.S. Department of Justice

AI has made it tougher to do background checks. As Fox News reports, both AI and Google offered up false facts when women fact-checked Love’s claims. The same thing happened to FBI investigators.

The Athletic reveals that when Olson and his colleagues typed Love’s first and last names into search engines, they found false confirmations that Love did, in fact, play for the 49ers.

“He was either a player, former player, a player on injured reserve … but whatever name he was using, he’d put enough stuff into the media searches so it was the first thing that came up on people’s page,” he said.

The 49ers themselves confirmed that not only was Love never on their team, but never played football in the NFL.

Investigators say the manipulation went beyond using AI. Olson said Love targeted trusting and responsible people who “believed they were building genuine relationships and legitimate financial futures,” and if women questioned Love, he simply blocked them.

Dig deep when it comes to dating app claims

Kurt Knutsson notes that Love had a blue checkmark on his dating profile, a mark of trustworthiness, but warns that such checkmarks only confirm that someone’s name is genuine, not necessarily claims about their work or wealth.

If you meet someone online, fact-check their claims about their job, going to the real-life source (in this case, an NFL team roster). As the Federal Trade Commission suggests, you might want to look up their name alongside the word “scammer.”

You can also do a reverse search of their photos and phone numbers. If the same image comes up with multiple names or other details that don’t match, that’s a red flag.

One of the biggest warning signs of a romance scam is the kind of love bombing DuBose described, where someone uses excessive compliments and attention to emotionally manipulate their target.

Love fumbled his football play with DuBose. But there are more players out there in the dating app world, so it’s better to stay on defense than fumble with your finances in a potential scam.

What To Read Next -

Robert Kiyosaki issued grim warning for baby boomers. Many could be ‘wiped out’ and homeless ‘all over’ the country. How to protect yourself now

Your Social Security ‘Trump Bump’ in 2027 will be one of the biggest in 25 years — but there’s a serious catch no one’s talking about

Dave Ramsey says this 1 indulgent purchase stops Americans from becoming wealthy. Here’s what he recommends instead

The tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028. Here are 4 moves to make before the window closes

Get Warren Buffett's best investing lessons, free. Join 250,000 readers getting Moneywise’s sharpest money reporting every week. Subscribe and we’ll send you our guide to the ideas that built Buffett's fortune as a welcome gift.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”