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How did a 77-year-old accountant lose nearly $1 million to romance scammers—and come to see her own family as the enemy? Katharine Tober, author of Losing Margaret, shares her aunt's story, the family's desperate attempts to intervene, and why evidence alone couldn't break the scammers' hold. We explore the emotional manipulation behind romance fraud and the support victims and their families need to recover.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

What happens when an investigative journalist deliberately enters a romance scam to find out how the deception actually works? Emmy-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller joins Laurel House on RomConned to discuss her National Geographic documentary "Super Scam Me," in which she goes undercover to experience the tactics used to build trust, create emotional attachment, and exploit the desire for connection.   Together, Mariana and Laurel examine what happens inside these relationships before the victim knows the ending, why intelligent people can be deceived, and why romance fraud carries a particular kind of shame. Laurel, a Human Connection Researcher, Relationships and Behavioral Dynamics Expert, and romance scam survivor, brings her own experience and research into the conversation, exploring Ghost Flags, the changing function of relationship behaviors, and #iTrusted—a way to challenge the shame that keeps victims silent. They also confront a disturbing contradiction: when someone is deceived financially, we often blame the scammer. Add the words "I love you," and suddenly we start questioning the person who trusted. What can Mariana's undercover investigation teach us about how these scams unfold, why victims may struggle to recognize or report them, and how we can respond differently? Subscribe to RomConned for investigations into what happens inside relationships—from confusion to crime. Words Inform. Actions Demonstrate. Patterns Reveal.   Watch Super Scam Me on Hulu, Disney+, and National Geographic The investigative documentary special premieres on October 17, airing at 9 pm EDT on National Geographic and streaming the same day on Disney+ and Hulu.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

Why do we blame victims of romance scams for trusting someone who deceived them? We examine how love changes perceptions of financial exploitation, why shame prevents victims from speaking out, and how hindsight distorts our understanding of manipulation. From romance fraud to sexual assault allegations and #MeToo, we explore why victims are so often scrutinized instead of the people accused of exploiting their trust.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

What happens when "respect" means obedience and loyalty means staying quiet? Against the backdrop of the Cornell rape allegations, we examine where entitlement is learned, how silence can be mistaken for respect, and what happens when group loyalty matters more than someone's boundaries or safety. The allegations discussed have not been established by a criminal verdict.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

What happens inside a Bitcoin romance scam while the victim is still living it? In connection with Social Catfish's Catfished, we examine Susanne's experience as a financial relationship becomes romantic, and how grooming, emotional investment, cognitive dissonance, and sunk-cost thinking can make each new decision easier to justify—even as the inconsistencies become harder to ignore.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

Leaving a controlling relationship doesn't always end the control. Sometimes it simply changes form. Laurel House and lawyer, mediator and trauma-informed divorce coach Nawal Houghton examine what coercive control can look like before, during and after separation—from financial pressure and punishment for boundaries to high-conflict divorce, co-parenting, legal systems and children becoming pathways back into a former partner's life. (be sure to check out Nawal's "The Exit Plan"- https://www.yourdivorcecoach.org.uk/p....   The Exit Plan exists so you leave once, calmly, and from a position of strength. We break down the difference between a difficult relationship, high conflict and coercive control; why someone may not recognize what is happening while they're living inside it; what can happen when a controlling partner begins losing access; and when it may be time to stop asking, "Can I fix this?" and start asking, "How do I protect myself?"   We also get into narcissistic behavior versus diagnosis, growing up inside a narcissistic family system, and what happens when those old loyalties follow someone into their marriage. Because sometimes the relationship ends on paper long before the relationship dynamic actually ends. Words inform. Actions demonstrate. Patterns reveal.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

Dating danger rarely looks dangerous at first. We examine how attraction and chemistry can gradually shift into pressure, possessiveness, humiliation, boundary violations, and control—and why what happens after someone is rejected, questioned, or told no can reveal far more than any single red flag.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

What actually happens when attachment styles collide during a fight? Dr. Jon Dabach returns to role-play common relationship conflicts, breaking down anxious and avoidant reactions before replaying the conversations with more secure behavior. We explore reassurance, taking space without creating abandonment, defensiveness, repair, and what to do in the moments after you're triggered. Instagram/Tiktok/Facebook: @drjondabach   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

The Lindsay Clancy trial centers on whether she was criminally responsible when she allegedly killed her three children in 2023. Law&Crime's Sierra Gillespie joins the show from inside the courtroom to examine what Lindsay's family and doctors knew before the deaths, the defense's claim of postpartum psychosis, and the prosecution's evidence of planning and purposeful behavior. We also ask a harder question: when do troubling signs become actionable, and how much does knowing the ending change the way we judge everything that came before?   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

Can someone genuinely love you and still be emotionally unsafe to live with? Chris Rodack of Rising Father joins the show to examine reverse accountability, contempt, weaponized vulnerabilities, and the difference between genuine change and crisis behavior. We look at how compassion can become self-abandonment—and when to stop asking whether someone could change and start asking whether they actually are.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

Avoidant—or Unwilling to Change? How Attachment Styles Can Make or Break Your Relationship ———    Is he avoidant—or just unwilling to change?  Laurel House sits down with couples counselor and relationship coach Dr. Jon Dabach to break down the four attachment styles—secure, anxious, dismissive-avoidant, and fearful-avoidant—and how each can strengthen, strain, or slowly destroy a relationship. They dig into the anxious-avoidant cycle, what happens when different attachment styles collide in marriage, how a secure person can begin behaving anxiously in an unstable relationship, and how to tell the difference between someone who is struggling, resistant, unwilling, or truly immovable. Dr. Jon also explains why empathy can sometimes become dangerous, how compassion is different, why some avoidant partners don't become willing to change until they're pushed, and what genuine change actually looks like. Because understanding why someone behaves the way they do can help save a relationship—but it can also become the reason you keep explaining away a pattern that is hurting you.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

Singer D4VD is headed to trial in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Law&Crime reporter Sierra Gillespie joins the show to examine the case against him, the relationship prosecutors described in court, and the defense arguments as the case moves toward trial. We also look at the relationship through a psychological lens: how age, fame, validation, secrecy, and first love can shape a developing teenage identity—and the moments when intervention may have been possible.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

Terms like gaslighting, coercive control, and love bombing can help explain abuse—but do they matter in court? Joined by family law attorney Silvana Raso, we explore what judges actually look for, why behavior matters more than labels, and how to build a stronger legal case during divorce and custody disputes.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

Sara Gilson's story sparked millions of conversations online. Joined by Sierra Gillespie of Law&Crime, we examine the publicly reported timeline, coercive control, betrayal trauma, protective orders, and why separation can become one of the most dangerous periods in abusive relationships.   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic

A retired man lost more than $1.3 million after responding to a single wrong-number text. This week, we revisit his story with Graphika senior analyst Jean le Roux, breaking down what was happening behind the scenes and the manipulation patterns that make romance scams so effective.   Graphika is a decision intelligence platform that analyzes how narratives, influence, coordination, and momentum evolve across networks including in the scams and fraud online ecosystem.  https://www.graphika.com Graphika is a decision intelligence platform that analyzes how narratives, influence, coordination, and momentum evolve across networks including in the scams and fraud online ecosystem. https://www.graphika.com/use-cases/sc... Graphika puts out public reports to raise awareness of online harms, including romance scams. Fauxmantic Overtures looks at synthetic dating profiles on social platforms funnelling romance seekers into a Chinese-operated online scam. Looking for Love on All the Wrong Pages chronicles how romance scammers masquerade as celebrities and lonely singles to ensnare and deceive online love seekers. https://www.graphika.com/reports/faux... https://www.graphika.com/reports/look...   Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic Link to Video: Cinematic Suspense Trailer NoCopyright Music for Video / Fear of the Dark by soundridemusic