Some betrayals do more than take money. They shatter trust in ways that can never fully be repaired. I sat down with Charlie Webster, the host, producer and writer of the top international podcast, Scamanda, to break down the shocking deception behind the story and the emotional damage it left behind.

Amanda Riley didn’t just lie about having cancer. She built an entire identity around it. She shaved her head, posted hospital photos, and wrote heartfelt blog updates, all while collecting over $100,000 in donations. But what makes someone go to such extremes? And how does that kind of deception affect the people who believed in her?

Charlie shared what it was like to uncover Amanda’s story, exposing how someone so seemingly normal managed to fool so many for so long. We explored the psychology behind these kinds of lies—why people are drawn to them, how victims struggle to process the betrayal, and what Amanda’s case reveals about manipulation, trust, and the stories we tell ourselves.

We also talked about Amanda’s husband, Corey. Did he know? Should he have? And what does this entire saga say about the way we judge people based on the image they present?

If you’ve ever felt deceived, questioned your instincts, or wondered how far someone would go for validation, this episode will make you think twice about what we choose to believe and why.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction 

05:01 The Complexity of Human Behavior in Scamanda

07:11 The Intrigue of Amanda Riley’s Story

10:47 The Emotional Impact on Victims

15:01 The Relatability and Extremity of Amanda’s Actions

18:01 The Nuances of Amanda’s Deception

23:32 Amanda Riley’s Identity and Motivation

30:43 The Function of Dysfunctional Behaviors

36:03 The Reality of Amanda’s Actions and Empathy

38:31 The Importance of Public Awareness

41:07 Why Amanda Agreed to Speak with Charlie

Links

Watch Scamanda Hulu https://www.hulu.com/series/f4ec2a4c-e234-4658-8728-1d17d1725b89

Watch Scamanda on ABC https://abc.com/show/1056ec91-9c44-4671-ae98-3c9feb3f35b3

Listen to Scamanda podcast wherever you get your podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scamanda/id1685691481

Connect with Charlie Webster:

Instagram @charliewebster

Website www.charliewebster.com

Why It’s OK to Talk About Trauma book https://amzn.to/41F5OUy

Connect with Dr. Z:

https://www.zgrouptherapy.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dr.z_psychologist/

https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.z_psychologist

https://www.youtube.com/@DrJaimeZuckerman

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Register for my on demand virtual courses here: http://www.drjaimezuckerman.com/workshops

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm