Romance Scam Rebellion

Anola Johnson
  • 5.0 (11)
  • 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. The Face That Launched A Thousand Scams

    5d ago

    The Face That Launched A Thousand Scams

    Send us Fan Mail For more than a decade, one military veteran has been living a nightmare he never signed up for. His photographs have been stolen and used by romance scammers around the world. Day after day. Week after week. Year after year. Thousands of women have been led to believe they were in a relationship with him. Many reached out believing they had found love. Others were heartbroken to learn the man they trusted never existed. The constant stream of messages, confusion, and accusations took a devastating toll on his personal life. His 26-year marriage ultimately fell apart under the weight of a problem he could not control. He fought back. He reported the fake accounts. He pleaded with social media companies to remove his stolen images. Yet the scams continued. Today, Bryan Denny is the co-founder of AARS (Advocating Against Romance Scammers), where he works alongside Kathy Waters to expose fraud and educate the public. When we talk about romance scams, we usually focus on the people who lose money. But Bryan represents another kind of victim—someone whose identity was stolen, whose privacy was stripped away, and whose life was forever altered by criminals he has never met. He didn't lose his savings. He lost something far more difficult to reclaim: His anonymity. Support the show Romance Scam Rebellion is entirely self funded. If this content has helped you, educated someone you love, or simply made you more aware of these crimes — please consider supporting the mission. Every contribution helps me continue this work and get one step closer to rebuilding what was taken from me:  You can donate at:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-after-a-romance-scam-at-69 Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

    1h 2m
  2. The Scam that Broke My Family

    Jun 2

    The Scam that Broke My Family

    Send us Fan Mail April Helm — Journalist & Host of the podcast "Scammer Stories" Some scams don't just steal money. They steal relationships, fracture families and leave wounds that no amount of recovery can fully heal. April Helm is a journalist and the host of Scammer Stories — a podcast dedicated to exposing the devastating reality of fraud through the voices of those who have lived it. She is also a daughter, and  watched helplessly as her mother fell deeper and deeper, into the grip of a long term romance scam. April tried to intervene. She recognized the red flags.  But her mother,  like other victims  couldn't see what those on the outside could see clearly. The scammer had done his job well. The emotional bond was too strong. And this started a divide within the family. Then tragedy struck. April's mother passed away — still in the grip of the scam — leaving April not only with grief but with unanswered questions, unresolved heartbreak and a fierce determination that her mother's story would not sit in silence. It is an important and essential episode, because romance scams don't just happen to the person being scammed. They happen to every person who loves them. Join me as April shares the story of her mother, the scam that fractured their family and why she turned her pain into a platform that is helping others recognize the warning signs before it's too late. Support the show Romance Scam Rebellion is entirely self funded. If this content has helped you, educated someone you love, or simply made you more aware of these crimes — please consider supporting the mission. Every contribution helps me continue this work and get one step closer to rebuilding what was taken from me:  You can donate at:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-after-a-romance-scam-at-69 Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

    1h 5m
  3. When Swiping Right Goes Wrong

    May 26

    When Swiping Right Goes Wrong

    Send us Fan Mail After a divorce and years of rebuilding her life, Beth Hyland thought she had finally found someone who truly understood her. What began as a promising Tinder match quickly evolved into a sophisticated romance scam built on emotional manipulation, love bombing, fake promises, and cryptocurrency fraud. But this episode is not just about the scam. It’s about what happens when a survivor refuses to stay silent. Instead of hiding in shame, Beth chose to fight back. In this powerful conversation, she shares how she transformed one of the most devastating experiences of her life into advocacy, education, and healing. From publishing the actual text messages in her book, Diary of a Romance Scam: When Swiping Right Goes Wrong, to speaking publicly about the psychological tactics used by scammers, Beth is helping expose the machinery behind these crimes while giving other victims permission to speak openly without shame. Together, we discuss trauma bonds, emotional conditioning, crypto ATM fraud, and the devastating psychological aftermath of romance scams — but we also talk about resilience, reclaiming your voice, and the courage it takes to stand in the light after being manipulated in the dark. This is a story about survival, truth, and refusing to let criminals write the ending. Support the show Romance Scam Rebellion is entirely self funded. If this content has helped you, educated someone you love, or simply made you more aware of these crimes — please consider supporting the mission. Every contribution helps me continue this work and get one step closer to rebuilding what was taken from me:  You can donate at:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-after-a-romance-scam-at-69 Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

    50 min
  4. Season 3 - Romance Scam Warriors

    May 21

    Season 3 - Romance Scam Warriors

    Send us Fan Mail Season 3 begins with a look at the journey since the close of Season 2 — the advocacy, the conversations, and the growing movement determined to confront the scam epidemic head-on. This season is dedicated to the warriors, whistleblowers, survivors, advocates, and experts who refuse to stay silent. Through powerful interviews and real conversations, Romance Scam Warriors shines a spotlight on the people working tirelessly to expose scams, protect potential victims, and push for real change. The fight is far from over — but no one is fighting alone. Support the show Romance Scam Rebellion is entirely self funded. If this content has helped you, educated someone you love, or simply made you more aware of these crimes — please consider supporting the mission. Every contribution helps me continue this work and get one step closer to rebuilding what was taken from me:  You can donate at:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-after-a-romance-scam-at-69 Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

    3 min

  5. Feb 17

    The Stolen Face: A Romance Scam Victim Speaks Out - Season 2 Finale

    Send us Fan Mail The man I thought I loved was real — just not the one talking to me. In this episode, I unpack the emotional aftermath of discovering that the identity behind my romance scam belonged to an innocent man whose photos were stolen and used to defraud women worldwide. This is the story of the “other victim” — the ghost unknowingly woven into my story — and the complex grief of letting go of both illusion and reality. Support the show Romance Scam Rebellion is entirely self funded. If this content has helped you, educated someone you love, or simply made you more aware of these crimes — please consider supporting the mission. Every contribution helps me continue this work and get one step closer to rebuilding what was taken from me:  You can donate at:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-after-a-romance-scam-at-69 Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

    13 min
  6. Seven Deadly Signs You're in a Romance Scam (Or About to Be)

    Feb 10

    Seven Deadly Signs You're in a Romance Scam (Or About to Be)

    Send us Fan Mail What if the person you’re falling for… was never real? In this urgent, reality-check episode, Anola walks listeners through the seven most common psychological and behavioral signs of a romance scam — the same playbook used on her and millions of others worldwide. This isn’t theory. It’s a diagnostic test. From unsolicited messages and tragic backstories… to sudden work deployments, financial probing, and love declarations that come too fast — each “sign” exposes how trust is engineered, intimacy is accelerated, and victims are methodically prepared for financial extraction. If you answer “yes” to even three of these signs, you may already be inside the scam. This episode doesn’t just raise awareness — it provides an emergency exit plan. Because the most dangerous scams don’t begin with a request for money… They begin with a request for trust. Support the show Romance Scam Rebellion is entirely self funded. If this content has helped you, educated someone you love, or simply made you more aware of these crimes — please consider supporting the mission. Every contribution helps me continue this work and get one step closer to rebuilding what was taken from me:  You can donate at:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-after-a-romance-scam-at-69 Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

    19 min
  7. Testify - Life After a Romance Scam

    Feb 3

    Testify - Life After a Romance Scam

    Send us Fan Mail Two years after the scam, I'm 69 with 27 years left on a mortgage I almost owned outright. My professional reputation is damaged. My retirement is gone. And the systems that could help? Silent. This is what life after a romance scam actually looks like—and why I'm still fighting back, even on the days I wonder if it matters. The alternative is letting the scammers win. And I won't do that. If you've been scammed or love someone who has, you need to hear this. We're not alone—and silence is not an option. Support the show Romance Scam Rebellion is entirely self funded. If this content has helped you, educated someone you love, or simply made you more aware of these crimes — please consider supporting the mission. Every contribution helps me continue this work and get one step closer to rebuilding what was taken from me:  You can donate at:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-after-a-romance-scam-at-69 Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

    9 min
  8. Seen. Chosen. Scammed. Viola's Story

    Jan 27

    Seen. Chosen. Scammed. Viola's Story

    Send us Fan Mail Scammers don’t target a type — they target vulnerability.  Gender, age, education, politics, religion, or sexual orientation don’t matter. The tactics are the same. In this episode, I sit down with Viola Barker, a 68-year-old woman from Ohio who had just come out later in life and was beginning again after a decades-long marriage. What followed was not a random encounter, but a textbook romance scam that unfolded exactly the way these operations are designed to work. From an unsolicited message in an online community, to intense mirroring and emotional bonding, to fabricated military service, love bombing, future-faking, and escalating financial demands — Viola’s experience walks us step-by-step through the scammer playbook. You’ll hear how sympathy was weaponized, how isolation crept in, how secrecy was encouraged, and how requests for help turned into crypto ATM deposits, fake inheritances, and an $84,000 “vault” that never existed. As you listen, test yourself.  How many patterns do you recognize?  How early would you have spotted them? Viola shares not just what happened, but how it felt — the loneliness, the hope, the shame, and the psychological grip that made obvious contradictions easy to explain away in the moment. Her story is a powerful reminder that these scams don’t begin with money. They begin with connection — and they work because they hijack the brain long before logic has a chance to intervene. If you think this could never happen to you, this is the episode you need to hear. Support the show Romance Scam Rebellion is entirely self funded. If this content has helped you, educated someone you love, or simply made you more aware of these crimes — please consider supporting the mission. Every contribution helps me continue this work and get one step closer to rebuilding what was taken from me:  You can donate at:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-after-a-romance-scam-at-69 Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

    44 min
See All (29)

5
out of 5
11 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
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Romance Scam Rebellion
  • Show Website
    Romance Scam Rebellion

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