RomConned

Sarma Melngailis, whose story was featured in Netflix's Bad Vegan, joins Laurel House on RomConned to talk about what she believed one more payment might undo. Sarma describes how Anthony Strangis gained her trust, why his belief in her business mattered so much to her, and what it felt like to hope she could still recover what she'd lost. Laurel shares her own experience of romantic exploitation, and the two discuss the parallels with chasing losses in gambling, the shame that keeps survivors quiet, and what recovery asks of someone who's learning to trust their own judgment again. Sarma also discusses her memoir, The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, and shares her #iTrusted message. #iTrusted is moving the blame and shame from the victim to the perpetrator. Learn more at https://BecauseITrusted.com and subscribe to RomConned for more conversations about what happens inside relationships, from confusion to crime.

Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic

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Heather Rovet fell in love with a man she knew as Jace, only to discover he wasn't who he claimed to be. Featured in Prime Video's ROMCON: Who the F**k Is Jason Porter?, Heather joins us to share her experience with deception, secret relationships, and the alleged theft of her mother's jewelry. We explore emotional manipulation, the grief of losing someone who never really existed, and how Heather found the strength and support to rebuild.

Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic

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A new federal law requires dating platforms to warn users when someone they've communicated with has been banned for fraud. But what happens when they're already in love? We examine the Romance Scam Prevention Act, the psychology of romantic exploitation, and why discovering deception doesn't always break emotional attachment. We also explore how romance scams have evolved and what victims and families can do to protect themselves.

Music: Fear of The Dark by Soundridemusic

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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