With the 2026 season fever hitting the roof, fans are already counting down the days. However, more than 20 women had a rough experience at the hands of a pair of scammers, who orchestrated a massive fraud by pretending to be linked to the San Francisco 49ers.

“Breaking news on TMZ Sports, a pair of scammers got women by, well one of the men, pretended to be a 49ers player,” Kimes posted a video on her X on August 28. “Not gonna lie, I mean I’m sorry for the women involved, but ladies, and I say this as a supporter of women, this is a tough look for us.”

Two men have been arrested and charged by the FBI for allegedly scamming at least 26 women out of more than $1.3 million. The perpetrators, Daejon Love and Taylor Chan, have allegedly been involved in this scam since 2022. According to records, their operation spanned four states: Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and California.

Love pretended to be a wide receiver with the San Francisco 49ers. He had a video on Instagram explaining his NFL journey, and he claimed he went undrafted. He duped women by also showing a lavish lifestyle.

“Love convinced many of the victims they were in sincere romantic relationships with Love, that he was a sophisticated investor, and that Chan was his investment adviser who helped Love grow a fortune worth tens of millions of dollars,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “Love had romantic relationships with many of the victims and told them he wanted to build wealth and a future together. Love advertised nonexistent investment vehicles and claimed these investments would generate massive returns for both him and his victims.”

Part of the act involved conversations with Chan, whom he portrayed as his adviser. The two targeted women and convinced them to lend money under the guise of investment opportunities. Per records, none of the 26 women have any proof that an investment account was opened under their names.

Through a step-by-step guide, Kimes explained how to be wary of such scammers in the future. 

“All right, step one if someone tells you that they’re on an NFL team, look it up,” she advised. “Everybody’s listed on the roster page. First clue was the name not being on the Niners website. Second, there are no photos of him at the Niners facility. Girls, everyone gets photos taken. The fact that there’s no other Niners players around him in any of these photos probably should have been a clue.”

Kimes also brought up the Google AI overview page for Daejon Love. She explained how easy it has become to manipulate results with AI, as it showed videos that did not exist.

“As part of his NFL journey video, as evidence of the fact that he played for the San Francisco 49ers, he cited the Google AI overview. And honestly, this is a good lesson for everyone, not just people who fall prey to scammers. In terms of how easy it is to manipulate AI search results, how easy it is to make it look like a TikTok is actually about you when you’re not in the TikTok. … So, ladies, check the roster, check to see if they’re actually at the facility, and do not believe AI search results.”