What do MLMs, cults, and online coaches have in common? A whole lot of manipulation.

In this episode of Duped, we sit down with author and marketing critic Dr. Mara Einstein to unpack how cult tactics are being repackaged as “business strategy” in the online world. From collapsed marketing funnels to parasocial influencers and toxic coaching circles, we dig into the psychology behind it all.

If you’ve ever felt duped by an online guru or pressured by hustle culture, this one’s for you.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Why Mara wrote Hoodwinked and how cult tactics show up in modern marketing

• The rise of “cult-lite” influencers and parasocial trust.

• What the “anxiety economy” is—and how it keeps us scrolling (and spending).

• How collapsing the marketing funnel impacts critical thinking and buyer behavior.

• Are algorithms today’s cult leaders?.

• Spotting psychological traps like truth bias and the illusory truth effect.

• Why the coaching industry—especially for women—can be uniquely harmful.

• What the future of ethical business might look like in toxic online spaces.

• Mara’s advice for anyone caught in a digital cult or shady coaching ecosystem.

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online. For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

Remember when the internet felt fun, helpful—even inspiring? Yeah, us too.

But lately? It’s feeling more like a digital junk drawer. 

In this episode of Duped, we’re talking about enshittification—what it is, how it shows up in your feed, and how AI is making it worse.

From AI-generated garbage content to platforms prioritizing profits over people, we’re breaking down how it all got so bad—and what we can do about it.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• What is enshittification and some examples. 

• How AI is accelerating enshittification

• Is AI the villain? Or can it be used responsibly?

• The real-world impact on consumers and business owners

• What to watch for with AI enshittification

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

She cries on camera. Wears hoodies. Says she’s just like you, right before pitching her five-figure course.

She’s the BFF Next Door. And in 2025, she’s not just relatable; she’s a finely-tuned marketing machine.

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most deceptively dangerous archetypes in the online business world: the BFF Next Door.

We discuss:

• Introduction to the BFF Next Door Archetype: Who she is and how she operates in the online business world.

• How vulnerability, relatability, and curated imperfection are used as sales tools.

• Why is this archetype so popular right now?

• The psychological impact of feeling connected to someone you don’t actually know.

• Why the BFF Next Door is more dangerous than traditional “bro marketers”.

• The issues with associating with problematic figures while claiming to be different.

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon. 

2024 was a wild ride and, for many, incredibly economically challenging.

So, what exactly went down this year? 

In this episode of Duped, we’re diving in for a 2024 year-end recap, breaking down the year that was and talking about what’s headed our way for 2025.

We discuss:

• Why 2024 was rough economically for many businesses.

• How some businesses went all in on creative rebranding.

• How the pyramid scheme of life coaching began to crumble.

• The rise and fall of digital MRR.

• Why consumers are becoming more skeptical.

• How the FTC has stepped up to start implementing more regulation in the industry. 

• A warning about 2025. 

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

Passive income! Life-changing results! Freedom! And all for a limited time only.  These are just a few typical tropes online businesses use to reel you in. 

Big promises that sound great on paper, and even though you’re maybe a little hesitant, you decide to give it a go. 

Unfortunately, in many cases, the dream we’re being sold quickly turns into a nightmare.  

So, how is an online business really legit and worth your investment?

In this episode of Duped, we’ll uncover the signs that an online business is going down faster than the Titanic. 

We discuss: 

• Five red flags to look for with online businesses.

• Specific warning signs for each one.

• What to look for when doing your due diligence vetting an online business.

• Five ways to identify a trustworthy program.

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

Robert Cialdini’s book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion has become ubiquitous in the online business community.

But are the principles Cialdini set forth being used in good faith

Spoiler alert: in many cases, nope, not at all.

In this episode, we get into part two of exploring Robert Cialidini and his code of ethics for anyone who uses his work. We examine the final four weapons of influence along with tips to protect yourself.

We discuss: 

• Cialdini’s ethics 

• Authority, Social Proof, Consistency and Unity

• What are they?

• How are they used in online business?

• How do you protect yourself against each one?

• Four specific tips to protect yourself as a consumer. 

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon. 

Do you know what book is one of the most used—and abused—in online business? Many celebrity entrepreneurs and top marketers cite it as influential…which makes sense given its title.  

It’s Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

While we have referenced this book many times on the pod, we have never actually done a deep dive to get into the nitty-gritty of it all.  

In this episode, we explore Robert Cialidini and his code of ethics for anyone who uses his work. We then examine three of his seven weapons of influence and cover the next four in the next episode. 

We discuss: 

• Who is Robert Cialdini?

• Dr. Cialdini’s code of ethics.

• Background on the book Influence.

• What Cialdini means by “principles”.

• The first three principles and how they show up in online business.

• Reciprocity

• Liking/Familiarity

• Scarcity

• How to protect yourself as a consumer. 

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online. For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon. 

Masterminds are often sold as life-changing experiences that will help boost your business, increase revenue, and connect with like-minded people.

But how often have you seen masterminds that turn out to be expensive group coaching sessions run by unqualified "experts"? 

Or even worse—joined one yourself and found out too late that it’s nothing like what you were promised?

In this episode, we’re peeling back the layers on something that’s become almost a rite of passage in the online business world: masterminds. We’re talking about red flags to watch for and what makes for a good mastermind experience. 

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online. For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

Have you ever seen an offer on social media claiming you can make big bucks in no time at all if you sell something created by someone else? Welcome to the world of Master Resell Rights, where you allegedly can get rich from doing little to no work at all. But like everything else in online business, it’s too good to be true and the house of cards is quickly tumbling.

In this episode of Duped, we’re peeling back the curtain to expose how it all went wrong—from faceless Instagram accounts selling the dream to fake income claims. 

We discuss:

• What Master Resell Rights (MRR) are.

• How MMRs gained popularity.

• Why the MRR grift started to fall apart.

• Why you should keep an eye on the MRR space.

• The ethical concerns with MRR. 

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

If you’ve ever been duped and immediately blamed yourself for it, you’re not the only one. 

Yes, we all have a level of personal responsibility, but that doesn’t negate the fact that humans are primed to fall for get rich quick schemes.

So why is that? 

In this episode of Duped, we’re flipping the script. Instead of talking about how to prevent getting scammed, we’re exploring why were are so damn susceptible to it.  

We discuss:

• A brief history of get rich quick schemes.

• Five telltale signs you’re being scammed.

• How rugged individualism and the American dream play a role in why we get sucked into schemes.

• Why do prosperity gospel and manifestation prime us to be taken in by schemes?

• What is confirmation bias and what role does it play in our decision-making?

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online. For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.