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Man accused of $1.3 million romance scam targeting 26 women
Prosecutors allege the scheme used fictitious investment opportunities and personal loans, and the two suspects were arrested in Boise, Idaho.
A 35-year-old man accused of running a romance scam has been charged with wire fraud after prosecutors said he posed as a San Francisco 49ers player or a wealthy real estate investor to convince 26 women to send him about $1.3 million, NBC Bay Area reported.
According to the United States Attorney's Office District of Oregon, the alleged scam worked by forging romantic relationships, then pitching fake investment opportunities that victims in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California were encouraged to fund with their own money or by taking out personal loans.
Prosecutors said the man allegedly worked with an accomplice, Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, who was charged as his alleged investment adviser. The pair allegedly used messaging to encourage investments, while the accused man would forward prompts to victims, claim the deals could generate large returns, and then block victims once they ran out of money or asked questions.
Both men were recently arrested in Boise, Idaho, and each was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The case comes as the FBI reported romance scams accounted for just over 23,000 complaints in 2025, with losses tied to these scams totaling more than $929 million, according to the article.