Romance Scam Rebellion

Anola Johnson
  • 5.0 (4)
  • DOCUMENTARY

The Romance Scam Rebellion is a bold, experience-led podcast that eposes the dark tactics behind online relationship scams and empowers targets to fight back.  Hosted by a real life survivor, each episode breaks the silence around digital deception, shares insider knowledge from lived experience, and dismantles the shame that scammers count on.  Whether you're reeling from betrayal, questioning red flags, or ready to reclaim your power, this is your battleground for truth and recovery.  No sugar coating.  No victim-blaming.  Just raw stories, real strategies, and rebellious self compassion.

  1. Jennifer French Tomasic MSc on Coercive Control S2 E3

    5D AGO

    Jennifer French Tomasic MSc on Coercive Control S2 E3

    Send us a text In this powerful episode of The Romance Scam Rebellion, Anola sits down with Jennifer French Tomasic MSc, a psychologist and expert in coercive control, to explore one of the most insidious psychological dynamics behind manipulation and abuse. Jennifer shares her deep expertise — rooted in both academic study and lived experience — including her MSc in the Psychology of Coercive Control and her work as a trauma practitioner and expert witness. Together, they unpack: What coercive control really means — beyond just “abuse” or “manipulation”How patterns of undue influence and power imbalance show up in relationships, cults, and high-control environmentsWhy intelligent, confident people fall deeper into deception than they ever expectedThe psychological and emotional mechanics that keep victims trappedHow to recognize the signs early — before it’s too lateThis conversation bridges the worlds of romance scam psychology and the broader terror of coercive control. It offers practical insight and compassion for anyone trying to make sense of manipulation in their relationships — whether romantic, familial, or institutional. If you’ve ever wondered why people stay in harmful dynamics long after the red flags appear, this episode provides clarity and context.  Welcome to a deeper understanding of how control works — and how to break free. Support the show Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you want to tell.

    1h 15m
  2. The Manipulation Playbook. S2 E2

    DEC 16

    The Manipulation Playbook. S2 E2

    Send us a text Romance scams don’t happen by accident.  They follow a script. In this episode of The Romance Scam Rebellion, I'll break down the exact psychological playbook scammers use worldwide to brainjack trust, attachment, and decision-making—tactic by tactic, step by step. What feels like love…  What feels like destiny…  What feels deeply personal… …is actually engineered. Drawing from my own experience inside a long-term romance scam, I expose how manipulation works at the neurological and psychological level—and why intelligence, education, and life experience offer no immunity. This episode unpacks the core manipulation tactics scammers rely on, including: • Love bombing and emotional flooding  • Mirroring and manufactured “perfect matches”  • Future faking and fantasy construction  • The Ben Franklin Effect (how helping them makes you trust them more)  • Intermittent reinforcement and emotional withdrawal  • The sunk cost fallacy and “too invested to quit” thinking  • Isolation, secrecy, and reality distortion These tactics don’t operate alone. They chain together, creating a psychological trap that can make walking away feel impossible—even when red flags are everywhere. This is not a story about being naïve.  It’s a story about how the human brain works—and how that knowledge is weaponized against victims across the globe. If you’ve ever wondered “How could this happen?”—to yourself or someone you love—this episode explains exactly how. Because once you can see the playbook,  the manipulation loses its power. Support the show Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you want to tell.

    20 min
  3. Brainjacked: The Dopamine Trap S2 E1

    DEC 9

    Brainjacked: The Dopamine Trap S2 E1

    Send us a text In the Season 2 opener, Anola exposes the hidden psychological mechanism powering nearly every modern romance scam: love bombing. This isn’t just cheesy sweet talk — it’s a deliberate strategy built to overwhelm your emotions and chemically hijack your brain. Using her own experience with “Pedro,” she illustrates how scammers identify emotional vulnerabilities, flood victims with affection, and use dopamine and oxytocin to create deep, false attachment that bypasses logic and silences red flags. This episode breaks down how victims get “brainjacked,” why the relationship feels real, why walking away is so difficult, and how scammers use a fabricated romantic fantasy to set the stage for financial exploitation. It also offers concrete steps to protect yourself, help loved ones, and get clarity if you’re experiencing love bombing right now. Powerful, validating, and eye-opening — this episode exposes the emotional engineering behind online fraud and gives you the tools to recognize manipulation before it becomes abuse. Support the show Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you want to tell.

    16 min

  4. SEP 16

    Episode 13 — 🌊💥 Aftershocks: The Ripple Effects 💔🔍

    Send us a text Season finale. After the initial shock of a romance scam, the damage doesn’t stop — it ripples through every part of your life. From identity theft to fake crypto schemes, government inaction to emotional and physical fallout, this episode breaks down the lasting aftershocks that survivors face every day. I share my personal story of betrayal, not only with my scammer, but also with fraudulent crypto investments, and the frustrating bureaucracy that leaves victims unprotected. We also explore how Big Tech enables these scams — and why it’s time to demand accountability. If you or someone you love has been targeted, this episode offers hard-earned lessons, a call to action, and the reminder that resistance is part of healing. Trigger Warning: Financial fraud, emotional trauma, identity theft Support the show Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you want to tell.

    19 min

  5. SEP 9

    Episode 12 — 🔄🎭 Oops, I Did It Again! The Search for Closure 🎭🔄

    Send us a text After my first disaster, I needed more than closure — I needed the truth. This episode follows my painful journey chasing the “real man” behind a fake profile, hoping to find answers and redemption. But chasing closure led me into a second scam, where the same patterns played out again — the lies, the manipulation, the gut-wrenching betrayals. I recount my cautious attempts to connect, the video chats, and the shocking revelations that left me questioning everything once more. Through this raw, personal story, I explore the brutal psychology of a second scam — how trauma and hope can trap us in a cycle that’s hard to break. If you’ve been caught in a similar cycle or know someone who has, you’re not alone. This episode offers compassion, hard truths, and a call to stay vigilant before the red flags become too entangled in the heart. Trigger warning: Emotional trauma, betrayal, financial loss. Support the show Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you want to tell.

    18 min

  6. SEP 2

    ⏰ Episode 11 - The Wake up call - The day my fantasy died 📲

    Send us a text This episode is deeply personal. It’s about betrayal, financial trauma, and the painful moment when denial breaks — when the fantasy shatters and harsh truth takes hold. Despite growing doubts, desperation pushed me forward. As suspicion grew, so did the distance between us. Love messages faded, replaced by transactions and demands. Then came the moment that changed everything: an unexpected call from an unexpected source — confirmation of what I’d been fearing. I was caught in a scam. I share the gut-wrenching phone call, the confession to my family, and how I faced the reality of losing over $800K. This episode exposes the emotional and financial devastation scams cause — and the courage it takes to face the truth and start healing. Trigger warning: Financial loss, emotional trauma, family struggles. If you’re struggling with something similar, you are not alone.  Support the show Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you want to tell.

    17 min

  7. AUG 28

    🔥 Episode 10: Ember to Inferno: The Five-Alarm Meltdown (Part 2) 🔥

    Send us a text What started as emotional kindling erupts into a full-scale inferno. In this second half of Ember to Inferno, I take you into the fire — where emotional manipulation turns into financial devastation. From credit lines and wire transfers to maxed-out credit cards, crypto ATMs, and even sending cash through the mail — this is the unraveling of a scam in real time. This isn’t just about the money.  It’s about access. Shame. Isolation. And how trust becomes a weapon in the wrong hands. 💥 Learn how scammers exploit every corner of your life — from your retirement to your relationships.  💸 Hear how I was drained of over $800,000, one excuse at a time. 🚩 Understand the red flags — including subtle “caring” behaviors that are anything but. I’ll walk you through the emotional chokehold that made walking into the bank feel like stepping onto a battlefield — and how I still justified each decision, even when the truth started seeping through the cracks. 💔 If you’ve ever thought “this could never happen to me” — this episode might change your mind. Trigger Warning: Financial trauma, emotional manipulation, family deception, and intense psychological abuse. This may the darkest part of the story.  But the war isn’t over.  The next episode? The Wake-Up Call. Support the show Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you want to tell.

    14 min

  8. AUG 26

    🔥 Episode 9: Ember to Inferno – The Five-Alarm Meltdown 🔥 Part 1

    Send us a text What starts with a spark of affection can ignite into a full-blown inferno of deception. In this first half of a two-part episode, I walk you through the slow burn of how trust, love, and hope get weaponized — one calculated move at a time. From promises of meeting, to a “dream job” offer, to diamond rings and love notes from afar, this is the story of how I was emotionally conditioned to believe in a carefully constructed lie. I’ll share real screenshots on my Facebook page, red flags you might miss, and the chilling details behind a scammer’s playbook — including how I was manipulated into wiring over a million dollars I didn’t own, and ultimately sending my own retirement funds overseas. 💥 This is not “pig-butchering” — it’s psychological warfare.  💔 This is how scammers earn your trust before they break you. This episode ends where the flames begin. Part 2? That’s when the mask falls off — and I realize just how deep the damage goes. ⚠️ Trigger warning: Financial loss, emotional manipulation, and the raw aftermath of betrayal. 🔗 Visit my Facebook page for images and documents discussed in the episode.  💬 If this sounds like something you’ve experienced — you are not alone. Support the show Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you want to tell.

    12 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Romance Scam Rebellion is a bold, experience-led podcast that eposes the dark tactics behind online relationship scams and empowers targets to fight back.  Hosted by a real life survivor, each episode breaks the silence around digital deception, shares insider knowledge from lived experience, and dismantles the shame that scammers count on.  Whether you're reeling from betrayal, questioning red flags, or ready to reclaim your power, this is your battleground for truth and recovery.  No sugar coating.  No victim-blaming.  Just raw stories, real strategies, and rebellious self compassion.

Information

  • Creator
    Anola Johnson
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Romance Scam Rebellion
  • Show Website
    Romance Scam Rebellion

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