https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/relationship-cheating-stories--7190047
Dive deep into the world of romance scams, catfishing, and financial exploitation. We explore the tactics these predators use, from elaborate love bombing to sophisticated phishing schemes, leaving a trail of broken hearts and empty bank accounts. Bankrup Love offers a raw, unfiltered look at the psychological toll and financial ruin caused by online dating scams and other deceptive relationships.

New episodes drop every single day, Monday through Sunday, at 7:00 AM. Each installment provides gripping narratives, expert insights, and crucial warning signs to help you identify and avoid these devastating traps. We dissect real-life experiences, offering a vital resource for understanding the complexities of emotional fraud.

This podcast is for anyone who has ever questioned a suspicious online connection, fallen victim to a romantic fraud, or wants to protect themselves and their loved ones from predatory schemes. Learn how to spot the red flags and empower yourself with knowledge.

Subscribe to Bankrup Love today and arm yourself against deception.]]>enTrue Crime© 2026 OBOMEDIA Creatorshttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/56a010cf5a97b79dee27e1ef876ebda2.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/relationship-cheating-stories--7190047Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:00:46 +0000Creator at ObomediaCreator at Obomediacreators@obomedia.comAre you ready to expose the dark side of romance? Bankrup Love uncovers the shocking true stories of victims who lost everything to manipulative con artists. Dive deep into the world of romance scams, catfishing, and financial exploitation. We...
Dive deep into the world of romance scams, catfishing, and financial exploitation. We explore the tactics these predators use, from elaborate love bombing to sophisticated phishing schemes, leaving a trail of broken hearts and empty bank accounts. Bankrup Love offers a raw, unfiltered look at the psychological toll and financial ruin caused by online dating scams and other deceptive relationships.

New episodes drop every single day, Monday through Sunday, at 7:00 AM. Each installment provides gripping narratives, expert insights, and crucial warning signs to help you identify and avoid these devastating traps. We dissect real-life experiences, offering a vital resource for understanding the complexities of emotional fraud.

This podcast is for anyone who has ever questioned a suspicious online connection, fallen victim to a romantic fraud, or wants to protect themselves and their loved ones from predatory schemes. Learn how to spot the red flags and empower yourself with knowledge.

Subscribe to Bankrup Love today and arm yourself against deception.]]>false9b7cb141-d6af-57d6-b01e-fcf136365ac4episodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cake-in-the-ditch-how-a-birthday-bait-unmasked-a-killer--73098252
A sealed birthday cake left in a drainage ditch with a card reading "He never made it to his birthday. Ask Wayne." pulled at Dunbar's quiet streets and revealed a year-long pattern of deception that targeted a grieving widower. Who was "Wayne," why did he bring a fake family photo and a commercial casserole dish, and how did a cake become the clue that started the unraveling?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning the cake was found through the visits, logs, and objects that altered Harold Finch's life, asking whether those small gestures were kindness or calculated moves. What connection did the man calling himself Wayne have to Harold, and what forced the truth into the open?

Person: Harold Finch
Date: May 14, 2022
Location: Sycamore Ridge Nature Path; Clover Hill Drive, Dunbar
Person: Nicole Dixon
Event: Cake left five days before Harold's 75th birthday

- The cake was found intact in a drainage ditch on May 14, 2022, five days before Harold Finch's 75th birthday.
- The handwritten card inside the cake read: "He never made it to his birthday. Ask Wayne."
- Harold Finch was 74 when his wife Barbara died in January 2021 after 41 years of marriage.
- Nicole Dixon, the home health aide, logged improved affect in Harold beginning late September 2021 after visits by a man identifying himself as Wayne.
- The casserole dish Wayne brought had a stamped seal "a crown above the letters HBA," indicating commercial catering supply use.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098252Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Cake in the Ditch: How a Birthday Bait Unmasked a Killer A sealed birthday cake left in a drainage ditch with a card reading "He never made it to his birthday. Ask Wayne." pulled at Dunbar's quiet streets and revealed a year-long pattern of...
A sealed birthday cake left in a drainage ditch with a card reading "He never made it to his birthday. Ask Wayne." pulled at Dunbar's quiet streets and revealed a year-long pattern of deception that targeted a grieving widower. Who was "Wayne," why did he bring a fake family photo and a commercial casserole dish, and how did a cake become the clue that started the unraveling?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning the cake was found through the visits, logs, and objects that altered Harold Finch's life, asking whether those small gestures were kindness or calculated moves. What connection did the man calling himself Wayne have to Harold, and what forced the truth into the open?

Person: Harold Finch
Date: May 14, 2022
Location: Sycamore Ridge Nature Path; Clover Hill Drive, Dunbar
Person: Nicole Dixon
Event: Cake left five days before Harold's 75th birthday

- The cake was found intact in a drainage ditch on May 14, 2022, five days before Harold Finch's 75th birthday.
- The handwritten card inside the cake read: "He never made it to his birthday. Ask Wayne."
- Harold Finch was 74 when his wife Barbara died in January 2021 after 41 years of marriage.
- Nicole Dixon, the home health aide, logged improved affect in Harold beginning late September 2021 after visits by a man identifying himself as Wayne.
- The casserole dish Wayne brought had a stamped seal "a crown above the letters HBA," indicating commercial catering supply use.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1206falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-threw-his-lies-into-a-creek-emily-s-214k-betrayal--73098250
Fear that the person on the phone is a perfect stranger who knows your routines - Emily lost $214,000 to a romance scheme that used forty-one printed emails, a prepaid phone, and a waterlogged olive-green bag tossed into Sallow Creek. Who built the script that convinced a careful, retired records coordinator to hand over life savings, and why did someone try to erase the evidence in the dark?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Emily Donnelly creating a dating profile in January 2019 to Carol Boyd finding the bag at 6:40 a.m. on her trotline, and we follow how a fabricated persona, VoIP calls, and persistent late-night messages culminated in a federal financial crimes case. What do the emails and the ledger in that bag reveal about the operation that targeted her?

Person: Emily Donnelly
Date: January-mid-April 2019
Location: Sallow Creek / Birchmont Avenue, Calusa, Tennessee
Amount: $214,000
Exhibit: Olive-green bag containing 41 printed emails, a handwritten ledger, and a prepaid phone

- At 6:40 a.m., Carol Boyd pulled a waterlogged olive-green bag from Sallow Creek trailing corroded wire once anchored to a concrete block.
- The bag contained forty-one emails printed on copy paper, a handwritten ledger, and a prepaid phone still holding a charge.
- Emily created a dating profile in January 2019 and matched with a man using the name Wayne H. within a week.
- By mid-April 2019, two hundred and fourteen thousand dollars was gone from Emily’s accounts; some money was later recovered but most was not.
- Throughout the relationship timeline, Wayne always initiated calls via a VoIP number; Emily never placed a single call.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098250Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Threw His Lies Into a Creek: Emily's $214K Betrayal Fear that the person on the phone is a perfect stranger who knows your routines - Emily lost $214,000 to a romance scheme that used forty-one printed emails, a prepaid phone, and a...
Fear that the person on the phone is a perfect stranger who knows your routines - Emily lost $214,000 to a romance scheme that used forty-one printed emails, a prepaid phone, and a waterlogged olive-green bag tossed into Sallow Creek. Who built the script that convinced a careful, retired records coordinator to hand over life savings, and why did someone try to erase the evidence in the dark?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Emily Donnelly creating a dating profile in January 2019 to Carol Boyd finding the bag at 6:40 a.m. on her trotline, and we follow how a fabricated persona, VoIP calls, and persistent late-night messages culminated in a federal financial crimes case. What do the emails and the ledger in that bag reveal about the operation that targeted her?

Person: Emily Donnelly
Date: January-mid-April 2019
Location: Sallow Creek / Birchmont Avenue, Calusa, Tennessee
Amount: $214,000
Exhibit: Olive-green bag containing 41 printed emails, a handwritten ledger, and a prepaid phone

- At 6:40 a.m., Carol Boyd pulled a waterlogged olive-green bag from Sallow Creek trailing corroded wire once anchored to a concrete block.
- The bag contained forty-one emails printed on copy paper, a handwritten ledger, and a prepaid phone still holding a charge.
- Emily created a dating profile in January 2019 and matched with a man using the name Wayne H. within a week.
- By mid-April 2019, two hundred and fourteen thousand dollars was gone from Emily’s accounts; some money was later recovered but most was not.
- Throughout the relationship timeline, Wayne always initiated calls via a VoIP number; Emily never placed a single call.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1093falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-touched-the-railing-the-man-who-forged-nine-months-of-love--73098248
Cold evidence and calculated tenderness: an envelope left beneath frost at 1:50 a.m. pointed to a stranger standing in the dark outside Michelle Whitley's house, while she waited for a marriage proposal from a man she had never touched-how did nine months of crafted trust culminate in that late-night proof?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of contact that began in a church pew and moved through potlucks, Facebook messages, nightly calls, and a private tradition of leaving a token at a meaningful place-raising the question: was the proposal ritual real devotion or a rehearsed setup to exploit quiet rituals?

Person: Michelle Whitley
Location: Sutter Road, Calloway County
Event: Envelope placed under frost at 1:50 a.m.
Claimed Identity: Marvin Christensen, 51, civil engineer, recently widowed
Date of first church contact: late June 2018

- Michelle walked two miles out and two miles back on Sutter Road every morning for seven years, touching the south railing of the iron bridge with her right hand.
- The envelope was placed on a concrete slab capping an old well and frosted underneath, indicating it was set after the temperature dropped at 1:50 a.m.
- The man introduced himself at Calvary Ridge Church in late June 2018 and volunteered for the maintenance committee, earning a key to the rear maintenance door.
- Contact progressed from a church potluck to a private Facebook group to direct messages to nightly phone calls over summer and fall 2018, with a birthday card postmarked from Oregon arriving in January.
- In October 2018 he told Michelle he believed God had placed her in his path; by February he told her he loved her and by early March he moved toward a proposal involving the well slab she had described.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098248Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Touched the Railing - The Man Who Forged Nine Months of Love Cold evidence and calculated tenderness: an envelope left beneath frost at 1:50 a.m. pointed to a stranger standing in the dark outside Michelle Whitley's house, while she waited for a...
Cold evidence and calculated tenderness: an envelope left beneath frost at 1:50 a.m. pointed to a stranger standing in the dark outside Michelle Whitley's house, while she waited for a marriage proposal from a man she had never touched-how did nine months of crafted trust culminate in that late-night proof?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of contact that began in a church pew and moved through potlucks, Facebook messages, nightly calls, and a private tradition of leaving a token at a meaningful place-raising the question: was the proposal ritual real devotion or a rehearsed setup to exploit quiet rituals?

Person: Michelle Whitley
Location: Sutter Road, Calloway County
Event: Envelope placed under frost at 1:50 a.m.
Claimed Identity: Marvin Christensen, 51, civil engineer, recently widowed
Date of first church contact: late June 2018

- Michelle walked two miles out and two miles back on Sutter Road every morning for seven years, touching the south railing of the iron bridge with her right hand.
- The envelope was placed on a concrete slab capping an old well and frosted underneath, indicating it was set after the temperature dropped at 1:50 a.m.
- The man introduced himself at Calvary Ridge Church in late June 2018 and volunteered for the maintenance committee, earning a key to the rear maintenance door.
- Contact progressed from a church potluck to a private Facebook group to direct messages to nightly phone calls over summer and fall 2018, with a birthday card postmarked from Oregon arriving in January.
- In October 2018 he told Michelle he believed God had placed her in his path; by February he told her he loved her and by early March he moved toward a proposal involving the well slab she had described.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1073falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dress-uniform-in-the-tank-how-a-widow-was-set-up-to-lose-everything--73098246
Hope can be a weapon - a folded dress uniform sealed in a gallon bag was found pressed against a septic tank deflector eight years after its owner died in Afghanistan. Why would Staff Sergeant Dennis Colby’s uniform be left in a rural Indiana tank, and what was that act meant to accomplish?

In this episode, we follow Wade Brown, a forty-eight-year-old widower whose slow return to hope after his wife’s death was interrupted by a stranger’s calculated attention and escalating money requests. How did online messages, prepaid phones, and silent bank accounts combine to turn his grief into $11,200 in losses?

Person: Wade Brown
Age: 48
Person: Staff Sergeant Dennis Colby
Date: 2011 (death), 2019 (uniform found), 2018-2019 (contact period)
Location: Keller Road, rural Indiana
Amount: $11,200

- Wade Brown transferred $400 in December after three months of nightly calls from someone who called herself Angela Mercer.
- By early February the total sent had reached $11,200 across three separate accounts.
- Angela’s messages used a prepaid phone bought in cash in Indianapolis and accounts opened with false IDs.
- Wade missed his volunteer shift at the Dunmore Area Food Shelf once in January-the only unplanned absence Peggy Hollis had observed.
- Staff Sergeant Dennis Colby died in Afghanistan in 2011; his dress uniform was found in February 2019 sealed inside a one-gallon zip-lock bag in a septic tank.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098246Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dress Uniform in the Tank: How a Widow Was Set Up to Lose Everything Hope can be a weapon - a folded dress uniform sealed in a gallon bag was found pressed against a septic tank deflector eight years after its owner died in Afghanistan. Why...
Hope can be a weapon - a folded dress uniform sealed in a gallon bag was found pressed against a septic tank deflector eight years after its owner died in Afghanistan. Why would Staff Sergeant Dennis Colby’s uniform be left in a rural Indiana tank, and what was that act meant to accomplish?

In this episode, we follow Wade Brown, a forty-eight-year-old widower whose slow return to hope after his wife’s death was interrupted by a stranger’s calculated attention and escalating money requests. How did online messages, prepaid phones, and silent bank accounts combine to turn his grief into $11,200 in losses?

Person: Wade Brown
Age: 48
Person: Staff Sergeant Dennis Colby
Date: 2011 (death), 2019 (uniform found), 2018-2019 (contact period)
Location: Keller Road, rural Indiana
Amount: $11,200

- Wade Brown transferred $400 in December after three months of nightly calls from someone who called herself Angela Mercer.
- By early February the total sent had reached $11,200 across three separate accounts.
- Angela’s messages used a prepaid phone bought in cash in Indianapolis and accounts opened with false IDs.
- Wade missed his volunteer shift at the Dunmore Area Food Shelf once in January-the only unplanned absence Peggy Hollis had observed.
- Staff Sergeant Dennis Colby died in Afghanistan in 2011; his dress uniform was found in February 2019 sealed inside a one-gallon zip-lock bag in a septic tank.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1104falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-took-her-innocence-i-gave-him-112-000--73098244
Trust can be bought and tallied: a laminated wire transfer showed $112,000 paid in six installments and a hand note that read "I THOUGHT HE WAS REAL." Who constructed the friendship that cost George Andrews his money and left someone else to leave a witness statement on a limestone shelf?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of messages, small favors and a single convincing photo that led George Andrews from routine office life into months of online trust-building. You will hear how an apparently steady engineer became entangled in requests that escalated to $112,000 and what one repayment revealed about the scam.

Person: George Andrews
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Date: March 26, 2021
Amount: $112,000
Case: Friendship-based wire fraud

- George Andrews transferred $8,000 on March 26, 2021 as a bond payment to an online contact.
- The total wired amount shown in the laminated confirmation was $112,000 paid in six installments.
- The fraudulent profile used a 2018 photo taken by civil engineer Marcus Webb from Edmonton.
- A handwritten note left with the document read exactly: I THOUGHT HE WAS REAL.
- The repayment three weeks after the first transfer included the message: Told you I was good for it.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098244Sun, 20 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Took Her Innocence - I Gave Him $112,000 Trust can be bought and tallied: a laminated wire transfer showed $112,000 paid in six installments and a hand note that read "I THOUGHT HE WAS REAL." Who constructed the friendship that cost George...
Trust can be bought and tallied: a laminated wire transfer showed $112,000 paid in six installments and a hand note that read "I THOUGHT HE WAS REAL." Who constructed the friendship that cost George Andrews his money and left someone else to leave a witness statement on a limestone shelf?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of messages, small favors and a single convincing photo that led George Andrews from routine office life into months of online trust-building. You will hear how an apparently steady engineer became entangled in requests that escalated to $112,000 and what one repayment revealed about the scam.

Person: George Andrews
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Date: March 26, 2021
Amount: $112,000
Case: Friendship-based wire fraud

- George Andrews transferred $8,000 on March 26, 2021 as a bond payment to an online contact.
- The total wired amount shown in the laminated confirmation was $112,000 paid in six installments.
- The fraudulent profile used a 2018 photo taken by civil engineer Marcus Webb from Edmonton.
- A handwritten note left with the document read exactly: I THOUGHT HE WAS REAL.
- The repayment three weeks after the first transfer included the message: Told you I was good for it.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1125falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-loved-a-voice-how-carl-white-emptied-her-retirement--73098239
Fear that the person you trust is a machine can feel like betrayal and terror at once: Ruth Hunt lost $20,000 and nearly her autonomy after falling for a voice engineered to feel like love. How did daily calls and linguistic intimacy conceal a synthesized voice that drained her retirement savings?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a VoiceBridge contact request to the moment a neighbor called 9-1-1, detailing the calls, transfers, and the digital evidence that revealed the deception. What does it mean when a voice is indistinguishable enough to make you give away your life savings?

Person: Ruth Hunt
Date: December 19, 2023
Platform: VoiceBridge
Total money sent: $20,000
Analysis hours reviewed: 14

- Ruth Hunt was 52 years old and had been an ESL instructor for 22 years.
- First wire transfer occurred in March 2023 for $4,200 to cover a supposed shipping delay.
- Second transfer in May 2023 for $6,500 described as a medical expense.
- Third transfer in August 2023 for $9,000 to cover a regulatory fine.
- Audio analysis showed call response latency under 300 milliseconds and 14 hours of recordings processed through real-time voice synthesis.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098239Sat, 19 Sep 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Loved a Voice: How "Carl White" Emptied Her Retirement Fear that the person you trust is a machine can feel like betrayal and terror at once: Ruth Hunt lost $20,000 and nearly her autonomy after falling for a voice engineered to feel like love....
Fear that the person you trust is a machine can feel like betrayal and terror at once: Ruth Hunt lost $20,000 and nearly her autonomy after falling for a voice engineered to feel like love. How did daily calls and linguistic intimacy conceal a synthesized voice that drained her retirement savings?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a VoiceBridge contact request to the moment a neighbor called 9-1-1, detailing the calls, transfers, and the digital evidence that revealed the deception. What does it mean when a voice is indistinguishable enough to make you give away your life savings?

Person: Ruth Hunt
Date: December 19, 2023
Platform: VoiceBridge
Total money sent: $20,000
Analysis hours reviewed: 14

- Ruth Hunt was 52 years old and had been an ESL instructor for 22 years.
- First wire transfer occurred in March 2023 for $4,200 to cover a supposed shipping delay.
- Second transfer in May 2023 for $6,500 described as a medical expense.
- Third transfer in August 2023 for $9,000 to cover a regulatory fine.
- Audio analysis showed call response latency under 300 milliseconds and 14 hours of recordings processed through real-time voice synthesis.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1017falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/red-velvet-box-on-redbud-mill-road-the-bronze-star-and-the-lie--73098235
Fear and recognition collide: a red velvet box with a Bronze Star and a typed note - "I'm sorry I believed you." - appears on a snowy rural roadside with no footprints, and the stranger who found it will uncover a seven-month online romance that sent over $31,200 to a man who wasn't who he claimed to be. Who really left the medal, and what did the lie cost the woman who trusted it?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the moment Kimberly Patterson discovered the box at 5:15 a.m. to Teresa Myers's months-long online relationship with "Ronald Wright," showing how a single photograph and small acts of empathy led to escalating financial transfers and a staged confession on Redbud Mill Road. How did an encrypted chat, a kitchen photo, and a Bronze Star become the evidence of a romance scam?

Person: Teresa Myers
Date: November 9, 2019
Location: Redbud Mill Road
Amount: $31,200
Platform: Bridging Home

- Kimberly Patterson found the red velvet box at 5:15 a.m, with no footprints and no snow on top.
- The box contained a Bronze Star engraved with an unfamiliar name and a notecard reading "I'm sorry I believed you."
- Teresa Myers joined the Bridging Home forum in March 2019 and was contacted by "Ronald Wright" on April 14, 2019.
- "Ronald Wright" claimed to be a 51-year-old retired Army sergeant living in Tucson with three combat tours and PTSD.
- Between July and November 2019, Teresa transferred $31,200 into accounts designated as "beneficiary relay account."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098235Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaRed Velvet Box on Redbud Mill Road: The Bronze Star and the Lie Fear and recognition collide: a red velvet box with a Bronze Star and a typed note - "I'm sorry I believed you." - appears on a snowy rural roadside with no footprints, and the...
Fear and recognition collide: a red velvet box with a Bronze Star and a typed note - "I'm sorry I believed you." - appears on a snowy rural roadside with no footprints, and the stranger who found it will uncover a seven-month online romance that sent over $31,200 to a man who wasn't who he claimed to be. Who really left the medal, and what did the lie cost the woman who trusted it?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the moment Kimberly Patterson discovered the box at 5:15 a.m. to Teresa Myers's months-long online relationship with "Ronald Wright," showing how a single photograph and small acts of empathy led to escalating financial transfers and a staged confession on Redbud Mill Road. How did an encrypted chat, a kitchen photo, and a Bronze Star become the evidence of a romance scam?

Person: Teresa Myers
Date: November 9, 2019
Location: Redbud Mill Road
Amount: $31,200
Platform: Bridging Home

- Kimberly Patterson found the red velvet box at 5:15 a.m, with no footprints and no snow on top.
- The box contained a Bronze Star engraved with an unfamiliar name and a notecard reading "I'm sorry I believed you."
- Teresa Myers joined the Bridging Home forum in March 2019 and was contacted by "Ronald Wright" on April 14, 2019.
- "Ronald Wright" claimed to be a 51-year-old retired Army sergeant living in Tucson with three combat tours and PTSD.
- Between July and November 2019, Teresa transferred $31,200 into accounts designated as "beneficiary relay account."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1195falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-trusted-me-the-velvet-note-that-stole-his-inheritance--73098232
He found a velvet bag tied with nylon twine wedged inside a transformer bracket; inside, a twelve-word handwritten note: "He trusted me. Now he has nothing." That small object set in motion a fourteen-month romance and a fraud that drained $61,400 from a man who believed in provenance more than people - so how did a curator's devotion become the perfect lure?

In this episode, we tell the story of Jeffrey Simmons, what happened after he created a social profile, and how a relationship built on shared values turned into a con that cost him his inheritance. Can a stranger who speaks your language of truth and objects be using that language to steal everything you trust?

Person: Jeffrey Simmons
Age: 28
Inheritance amount: $63,000
Fraud total: $61,400
Duration of interaction: 14 months

- The velvet bag contained a twelve-word handwritten note with no sender or recipient.
- Jeffrey had worked at the Varnell County Historical Museum and cataloged objects for years.
- He inherited $63,000 from his grandmother Evelyn the winter before and disclosed it to almost no one.
- A profile called Russell Owens contacted him within ten days after Jeffrey created a social profile.
- The fraud spanned fourteen months and used photographs taken by photographer Kevin Prater without his knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098232Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Trusted Me - The Velvet Note That Stole His Inheritance He found a velvet bag tied with nylon twine wedged inside a transformer bracket; inside, a twelve-word handwritten note: "He trusted me. Now he has nothing." That small object set in motion...
He found a velvet bag tied with nylon twine wedged inside a transformer bracket; inside, a twelve-word handwritten note: "He trusted me. Now he has nothing." That small object set in motion a fourteen-month romance and a fraud that drained $61,400 from a man who believed in provenance more than people - so how did a curator's devotion become the perfect lure?

In this episode, we tell the story of Jeffrey Simmons, what happened after he created a social profile, and how a relationship built on shared values turned into a con that cost him his inheritance. Can a stranger who speaks your language of truth and objects be using that language to steal everything you trust?

Person: Jeffrey Simmons
Age: 28
Inheritance amount: $63,000
Fraud total: $61,400
Duration of interaction: 14 months

- The velvet bag contained a twelve-word handwritten note with no sender or recipient.
- Jeffrey had worked at the Varnell County Historical Museum and cataloged objects for years.
- He inherited $63,000 from his grandmother Evelyn the winter before and disclosed it to almost no one.
- A profile called Russell Owens contacted him within ten days after Jeffrey created a social profile.
- The fraud spanned fourteen months and used photographs taken by photographer Kevin Prater without his knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1209falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bracelet-on-the-marigold-pot-how-love-became-a-wire-fraud--73098230
Fear that someone you trust could be building a lie inside your daily routine begins with a small, ordinary object: a stainless steel bracelet engraved with a blood type and a pediatric patient number, left on a marigold pot at 6:22 AM. That bracelet was meant to be found, by a woman whose life had quiet gaps and precise habits-so who built the system to exploit her, and where did it finally unravel?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Ruth Wagner found the bracelet to the pattern of transfers that followed, laying out how a dating profile, repeated repayments, and careful details were used to earn trust and move money across state lines; how did a single early repayment lock the scheme into place?

Person: Karen Rafferty
Date: September 2022 (bracelet found at 6:22 AM on a Friday morning)
Location: Orchard Terrace, Dunbar, Alabama
Person: Kevin Stoddard
Event: First transfer and full reimbursement in April 2022

- Ruth Wagner found a stainless steel bracelet engraved with a blood type and a pediatric patient number at 6:22 AM on a Friday in September 2022.
- Karen Rafferty matched with a profile named Bruce Wells on Heartland Connector in February 2022 and was 54 years old at the time.
- The profile used a photo posted by Dennis Albright in 2019 and claimed a nine-year-old daughter named Lily with aplastic anemia.
- The first money transfer occurred seven weeks after the match, in April 2022: $400 sent via Western Union and returned the following Tuesday in full.
- Kevin Stoddard, 38 and living in Gadsden, Alabama (57 miles from Dunbar), had a prior 2017 wire fraud conviction and created multiple profiles, including Bruce Wells, by February 2022.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098230Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Bracelet on the Marigold Pot: How Love Became a Wire Fraud Fear that someone you trust could be building a lie inside your daily routine begins with a small, ordinary object: a stainless steel bracelet engraved with a blood type and a pediatric...
Fear that someone you trust could be building a lie inside your daily routine begins with a small, ordinary object: a stainless steel bracelet engraved with a blood type and a pediatric patient number, left on a marigold pot at 6:22 AM. That bracelet was meant to be found, by a woman whose life had quiet gaps and precise habits-so who built the system to exploit her, and where did it finally unravel?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Ruth Wagner found the bracelet to the pattern of transfers that followed, laying out how a dating profile, repeated repayments, and careful details were used to earn trust and move money across state lines; how did a single early repayment lock the scheme into place?

Person: Karen Rafferty
Date: September 2022 (bracelet found at 6:22 AM on a Friday morning)
Location: Orchard Terrace, Dunbar, Alabama
Person: Kevin Stoddard
Event: First transfer and full reimbursement in April 2022

- Ruth Wagner found a stainless steel bracelet engraved with a blood type and a pediatric patient number at 6:22 AM on a Friday in September 2022.
- Karen Rafferty matched with a profile named Bruce Wells on Heartland Connector in February 2022 and was 54 years old at the time.
- The profile used a photo posted by Dennis Albright in 2019 and claimed a nine-year-old daughter named Lily with aplastic anemia.
- The first money transfer occurred seven weeks after the match, in April 2022: $400 sent via Western Union and returned the following Tuesday in full.
- Kevin Stoddard, 38 and living in Gadsden, Alabama (57 miles from Dunbar), had a prior 2017 wire fraud conviction and created multiple profiles, including Bruce Wells, by February 2022.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1069falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-never-went-to-rome-the-secret-photo-that-bought-her-love--73098228
In this episode, we trace the sequence of events from the first online comment on Crystal's food blog to the moment a meter reader knocked on her door with the impossible photo, and follow the unanswered question that started it all: why was her face laminated for use as a lure?

Person: Crystal Moore
Topic: Secondhand Spoon food blog
Date: August 14, 2019 (photo placed)
Location: Columbus apartment building
Amount: $31,000

- The laminated photograph was found behind a gas meter in the building on August 17, 2019, after being placed there on August 14, 2019.
- Crystal Moore had never owned a passport and had never left the United States as stated by neighbors and records.
- Crystal launched the Secondhand Spoon food blog in spring of her sophomore year and had 14,000 followers by summer 2019.
- The man posing as a food critic began commenting on her posts in October 2016 and by January 2017 had exchanged annotated versions of Lorraine Voss’s sour cream pound cake recipe.
- The deception led to two and a half years of fraud that resulted in $31,000 taken from Crystal by someone using a stolen identity.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098228Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Never Went to Rome - The Secret Photo That Bought Her Love In this episode, we trace the sequence of events from the first online comment on Crystal's food blog to the moment a meter reader knocked on her door with the impossible photo, and...
In this episode, we trace the sequence of events from the first online comment on Crystal's food blog to the moment a meter reader knocked on her door with the impossible photo, and follow the unanswered question that started it all: why was her face laminated for use as a lure?

Person: Crystal Moore
Topic: Secondhand Spoon food blog
Date: August 14, 2019 (photo placed)
Location: Columbus apartment building
Amount: $31,000

- The laminated photograph was found behind a gas meter in the building on August 17, 2019, after being placed there on August 14, 2019.
- Crystal Moore had never owned a passport and had never left the United States as stated by neighbors and records.
- Crystal launched the Secondhand Spoon food blog in spring of her sophomore year and had 14,000 followers by summer 2019.
- The man posing as a food critic began commenting on her posts in October 2016 and by January 2017 had exchanged annotated versions of Lorraine Voss’s sour cream pound cake recipe.
- The deception led to two and a half years of fraud that resulted in $31,000 taken from Crystal by someone using a stolen identity.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1067falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-that-exposed-a-fake-coast-guard-lover-and-11-000-loss--73098225
Fear that the person you trusted was a lie: a padded envelope left at a church contained 43 photos, a cracked burner phone, and a note that said, "He is not who he told you he was." How did one unsigned warning unravel a four-state fraud and $68,000, and who sent the envelope?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a niche internet friendship to repeated wire transfers and a face-to-face realization that triggered digital detective work. What did a single maritime-forum conversation lead Michael Griffin to believe, and how did a stranger's curiosity expose the deception?

Person: Michael Griffin
Age: 38
Location: Kellerton, North Carolina
Amount lost by Michael: $11,000
Total fraud across states: $68,000

- The envelope contained forty-three printed photographs, a cracked burner phone, and an unsigned handwritten note.
- Michael Griffin and "Dale Barnes" messaged daily from late February 2022 and moved to a private messaging app in April 2022.
- One video call between Michael and "Dale" lasted eleven minutes with the camera angled low.
- Michael wired four transfers totaling $11,000 after requests in late May and the following weeks.
- Reverse image searches traced the profile photos to Patrick Sorrell, a 39-year-old Coast Guard petty officer whose images were used without his knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098225Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Envelope That Exposed a Fake Coast Guard Lover and $11,000 Loss Fear that the person you trusted was a lie: a padded envelope left at a church contained 43 photos, a cracked burner phone, and a note that said, "He is not who he told you he...
Fear that the person you trusted was a lie: a padded envelope left at a church contained 43 photos, a cracked burner phone, and a note that said, "He is not who he told you he was." How did one unsigned warning unravel a four-state fraud and $68,000, and who sent the envelope?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a niche internet friendship to repeated wire transfers and a face-to-face realization that triggered digital detective work. What did a single maritime-forum conversation lead Michael Griffin to believe, and how did a stranger's curiosity expose the deception?

Person: Michael Griffin
Age: 38
Location: Kellerton, North Carolina
Amount lost by Michael: $11,000
Total fraud across states: $68,000

- The envelope contained forty-three printed photographs, a cracked burner phone, and an unsigned handwritten note.
- Michael Griffin and "Dale Barnes" messaged daily from late February 2022 and moved to a private messaging app in April 2022.
- One video call between Michael and "Dale" lasted eleven minutes with the camera angled low.
- Michael wired four transfers totaling $11,000 after requests in late May and the following weeks.
- Reverse image searches traced the profile photos to Patrick Sorrell, a 39-year-old Coast Guard petty officer whose images were used without his knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1219falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-gave-him-her-heart-he-gave-her-a-stolen-identity-and-48k--73098219
Grief became the door Leon Berry walked through: a man who stayed patient for months online before Ruth Vickers sent him $48,000 into an account he named Crestline Yield - and a single greeting card found in a zip-lock bag would later tie his lies to a stolen identity. How did a steady, cautious 62-year-old medical billing supervisor come to transfer that amount after months of careful contact, and what did the misplaced card really reveal?

In this episode, we tell the story of Ruth Vickers from Harwick, North Carolina, and the sequence of events that followed her introduction to Forward Step through a therapist referral. We follow the timeline from her first late arrivals at the food pantry to the private messages and voice notes that led to the $48,000 transfer - and the question of how one small object became evidence.

Person: Ruth Vickers
Location: Persimmon Street, Harwick, North Carolina
Age: 62
Platform: Forward Step
Amount: $48,000

- Ruth Vickers lived in the same four-bedroom colonial for nineteen years.
- She volunteered every Tuesday at the Harwick Food Pantry for nine years without missing a single shift until mid-March.
- Ruth joined Forward Step in late February after a referral from her therapist, Margot Solis.
- Leon Berry’s screenshot showed a Crestline Yield balance of $240,000 and he said he had started with $18,000.
- In early May, Ruth transferred $48,000 into Crestline after weeks of daily messages and voice notes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098219Sun, 13 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Gave Him Her Heart - He Gave Her a Stolen Identity and $48K Grief became the door Leon Berry walked through: a man who stayed patient for months online before Ruth Vickers sent him $48,000 into an account he named Crestline Yield - and a single...
Grief became the door Leon Berry walked through: a man who stayed patient for months online before Ruth Vickers sent him $48,000 into an account he named Crestline Yield - and a single greeting card found in a zip-lock bag would later tie his lies to a stolen identity. How did a steady, cautious 62-year-old medical billing supervisor come to transfer that amount after months of careful contact, and what did the misplaced card really reveal?

In this episode, we tell the story of Ruth Vickers from Harwick, North Carolina, and the sequence of events that followed her introduction to Forward Step through a therapist referral. We follow the timeline from her first late arrivals at the food pantry to the private messages and voice notes that led to the $48,000 transfer - and the question of how one small object became evidence.

Person: Ruth Vickers
Location: Persimmon Street, Harwick, North Carolina
Age: 62
Platform: Forward Step
Amount: $48,000

- Ruth Vickers lived in the same four-bedroom colonial for nineteen years.
- She volunteered every Tuesday at the Harwick Food Pantry for nine years without missing a single shift until mid-March.
- Ruth joined Forward Step in late February after a referral from her therapist, Margot Solis.
- Leon Berry’s screenshot showed a Crestline Yield balance of $240,000 and he said he had started with $18,000.
- In early May, Ruth transferred $48,000 into Crestline after weeks of daily messages and voice notes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1119falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-love-letters-they-tried-to-sink-how-cheryl-was-conned--73098217
The first thing a fisherman found was a gallon zip-lock bag weighted and sealed, containing forty-two pages of printed emails - love letters someone had tried to sink in the Cassidy River. How did a small-town book lover end up sending $41,000 to a man who quoted Chekhov and used photographs stolen from an Edinburgh librarian, and who tried to erase the trail by throwing those letters into the water?

In this episode, we tell the story of Cheryl Myers and the sequence of messages, payments, and stolen identities that connected a Portland antiquarian persona to a man living in Grainer County. You will hear how daily emails turned into eight transfers totaling $41,000 and why the discovery of the zip-lock bag forced local investigators to ask what really happened.

Person: Cheryl Myers
Location: Kellerton
Date: May (morning discovery at 6:15)
Case: Love-letter fraud uncovered after zip-lock bag found in Cassidy River
Amount: $41,000 total over eight transfers

- A fisherman named Jason Norris found the gallon zip-lock bag in the Cassidy River at 6:15 on a Tuesday morning in May.
- The bag contained forty-two pages of printed emails with corners slightly stained but every word legible.
- A new forum account appeared fourteen months earlier claiming to be a fifty-one-year-old antiquarian from Portland using the name Steven Vaughn.
- Cheryl sent eight transfers over approximately four months totaling $41,000 after daily emails began and requests for fees were made.
- The photographs used by the fake Steven Vaughn were taken from Andrew Petrie, a university librarian in Edinburgh, whose public Instagram photos were repurposed.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098217Sat, 12 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Love Letters They Tried to Sink: How Cheryl Was Conned The first thing a fisherman found was a gallon zip-lock bag weighted and sealed, containing forty-two pages of printed emails - love letters someone had tried to sink in the Cassidy River....
The first thing a fisherman found was a gallon zip-lock bag weighted and sealed, containing forty-two pages of printed emails - love letters someone had tried to sink in the Cassidy River. How did a small-town book lover end up sending $41,000 to a man who quoted Chekhov and used photographs stolen from an Edinburgh librarian, and who tried to erase the trail by throwing those letters into the water?

In this episode, we tell the story of Cheryl Myers and the sequence of messages, payments, and stolen identities that connected a Portland antiquarian persona to a man living in Grainer County. You will hear how daily emails turned into eight transfers totaling $41,000 and why the discovery of the zip-lock bag forced local investigators to ask what really happened.

Person: Cheryl Myers
Location: Kellerton
Date: May (morning discovery at 6:15)
Case: Love-letter fraud uncovered after zip-lock bag found in Cassidy River
Amount: $41,000 total over eight transfers

- A fisherman named Jason Norris found the gallon zip-lock bag in the Cassidy River at 6:15 on a Tuesday morning in May.
- The bag contained forty-two pages of printed emails with corners slightly stained but every word legible.
- A new forum account appeared fourteen months earlier claiming to be a fifty-one-year-old antiquarian from Portland using the name Steven Vaughn.
- Cheryl sent eight transfers over approximately four months totaling $41,000 after daily emails began and requests for fees were made.
- The photographs used by the fake Steven Vaughn were taken from Andrew Petrie, a university librarian in Edinburgh, whose public Instagram photos were repurposed.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1129falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-mailbox-in-the-empty-lot-how-ross-lost-61-420-to-a-fake-missionary--73098199
Fear that someone you trusted could invent an entire life and quietly take everything - a red mailbox in an empty lot, 47 pieces of mail, and a padded envelope with 14 photographs stamped "For Ross - they remember you" set off a chain that cost one man $61,420. How did transfers labeled for Nairobi end up in a personal account in Accra, and who was the man named Larry Schmidt really?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from a land surveyor's discovery to the fraud investigator's leads, following the paperwork, photographs, and bank records that reveal the deception and the unanswered questions about the fake missionary's network and methods.

Person: Ross Patterson
Date: early April 2023 (discovery); summer 2021 (beginning of relationship)
Location: Fenwick Road, Kettler Township; Millhaven; Accra, Ghana
Amount: $61,420.00
Case: Shepherd's Table Outreach / Larry Schmidt

- A land surveyor found a red mailbox planted in a vacant lot that had been empty for eleven years containing 47 pieces of mail.
- Inside a resealed padded envelope were 14 photographs, 11 of which were run through reverse image search with 7 matches.
- Ross Patterson sent 41 documented transfers over 18 months, totaling $61,420, with individual transfers ranging from $200 to $3,800.
- Transfers marked for an organization in Nairobi were routed instead to a personal account in Accra, Ghana, with no charity registration.
- Fraud investigator Diane Boyd had six years' experience and traced the discrepancy between the receipts' destination codes and the actual account recipient.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098199Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Mailbox in the Empty Lot: How Ross Lost $61,420 to a Fake Missionary Fear that someone you trusted could invent an entire life and quietly take everything - a red mailbox in an empty lot, 47 pieces of mail, and a padded envelope with 14...
Fear that someone you trusted could invent an entire life and quietly take everything - a red mailbox in an empty lot, 47 pieces of mail, and a padded envelope with 14 photographs stamped "For Ross - they remember you" set off a chain that cost one man $61,420. How did transfers labeled for Nairobi end up in a personal account in Accra, and who was the man named Larry Schmidt really?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from a land surveyor's discovery to the fraud investigator's leads, following the paperwork, photographs, and bank records that reveal the deception and the unanswered questions about the fake missionary's network and methods.

Person: Ross Patterson
Date: early April 2023 (discovery); summer 2021 (beginning of relationship)
Location: Fenwick Road, Kettler Township; Millhaven; Accra, Ghana
Amount: $61,420.00
Case: Shepherd's Table Outreach / Larry Schmidt

- A land surveyor found a red mailbox planted in a vacant lot that had been empty for eleven years containing 47 pieces of mail.
- Inside a resealed padded envelope were 14 photographs, 11 of which were run through reverse image search with 7 matches.
- Ross Patterson sent 41 documented transfers over 18 months, totaling $61,420, with individual transfers ranging from $200 to $3,800.
- Transfers marked for an organization in Nairobi were routed instead to a personal account in Accra, Ghana, with no charity registration.
- Fraud investigator Diane Boyd had six years' experience and traced the discrepancy between the receipts' destination codes and the actual account recipient.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1045falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-on-the-septic-lid-how-duane-stole-a-life-and-almost-the-heart--73098195
Fear of being carefully loved - then betrayed - hits like a chill: a moving dress watch left on a sealed septic lid at 8:20 AM in the second week of March 2011, its hands frozen at 11:47, would unravel a romance built by email and phone calls and reveal how a seemingly perfect stranger entered a woman's life. Who was the man behind the name "Duane," and what did the watch finally tell them?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first email in early January to the first date at Harlan's Grill and the small, precise details that built trust: nightly calls about a sick guinea pig, hand-delivered notes, and changing handwriting and scars that unsettled Alice. How did those ordinary moments lead to the object on the septic lid that explained everything?

Person: Alice Hunt
Date: second week of March 2011
Location: Harlan's Grill; east side of Kellerton; a rental property
Event: first email from Duane around January 8-10, 2011
Item: silver-toned dress watch, hands stopped at 11:47, placed on a sealed septic lid at 8:20 AM

- Alice was 32 years old and worked six years as a claims processor at Kellerton's largest insurance firm.
- Pip, one of Alice's four guinea pigs, required nebulizer treatments at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM without fail.
- The first email from Duane arrived around January 8-10, 2011 and included a photograph of a man claiming to be a civil engineer.
- Alice and Duane had talked for about five weeks before meeting in person; their first date at Harlan's Grill was the first Saturday of March, meeting at 6:30 PM.
- A septic worker, Roy Schultz, found the silver-toned dress watch at 8:20 AM on the sealed septic lid; the band looked unworn and the hands showed 11:47.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098195Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch on the Septic Lid: How "Duane" Stole a Life and Almost the Heart Fear of being carefully loved - then betrayed - hits like a chill: a moving dress watch left on a sealed septic lid at 8:20 AM in the second week of March 2011, its hands...
Fear of being carefully loved - then betrayed - hits like a chill: a moving dress watch left on a sealed septic lid at 8:20 AM in the second week of March 2011, its hands frozen at 11:47, would unravel a romance built by email and phone calls and reveal how a seemingly perfect stranger entered a woman's life. Who was the man behind the name "Duane," and what did the watch finally tell them?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first email in early January to the first date at Harlan's Grill and the small, precise details that built trust: nightly calls about a sick guinea pig, hand-delivered notes, and changing handwriting and scars that unsettled Alice. How did those ordinary moments lead to the object on the septic lid that explained everything?

Person: Alice Hunt
Date: second week of March 2011
Location: Harlan's Grill; east side of Kellerton; a rental property
Event: first email from Duane around January 8-10, 2011
Item: silver-toned dress watch, hands stopped at 11:47, placed on a sealed septic lid at 8:20 AM

- Alice was 32 years old and worked six years as a claims processor at Kellerton's largest insurance firm.
- Pip, one of Alice's four guinea pigs, required nebulizer treatments at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM without fail.
- The first email from Duane arrived around January 8-10, 2011 and included a photograph of a man claiming to be a civil engineer.
- Alice and Duane had talked for about five weeks before meeting in person; their first date at Harlan's Grill was the first Saturday of March, meeting at 6:30 PM.
- A septic worker, Roy Schultz, found the silver-toned dress watch at 8:20 AM on the sealed septic lid; the band looked unworn and the hands showed 11:47.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1016falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-phone-in-the-cattails-why-he-left-4-000-on-valentine-s-day--73098193
Fear and disbelief: a 52-year-old man wired $31,000 over 14 months to a woman who did not exist, then placed his phone in a Ziploc bag chest-high in the cattails on February 14, 2019 - why did he leave $4,000 in an envelope on the passenger seat that morning and walk into the reeds? What decision was sealed with that phone?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first late-night call in November 2017 to the discovery of the phone at Pelham Reservoir on Valentine’s Day morning 2019, tracing the app connection, the transfers, and the moment his daughter uncovered the truth - and we ask what drove him to that specific act by the reservoir.

Person: Roy Thompson
Date: February 14, 2019
Location: Pelham Reservoir, Ohio
Amount: $31,000
Perpetrator alias: Heather McCarthy

- The phone was found upright, sealed inside a Ziploc bag, about sixty feet from the trail at chest height.
- The phone’s memory contained fourteen months of calls, messages, and bank transfer records totaling $31,000.
- Roy Thompson wired transfers ranging from $800 to $6,000, deposited at ATMs in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Roy parked at the reservoir for twenty minutes with an envelope holding $4,000 in cash on the passenger seat before placing the phone in the cattails.
- The profile “Heather McCarthy” contacted Roy after he downloaded NutriPath in autumn 2017; the first call came at approximately 10:45 p.m, in November 2017.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098193Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Phone in the Cattails: Why He Left $4,000 on Valentine's Day Fear and disbelief: a 52-year-old man wired $31,000 over 14 months to a woman who did not exist, then placed his phone in a Ziploc bag chest-high in the cattails on February 14, 2019...
Fear and disbelief: a 52-year-old man wired $31,000 over 14 months to a woman who did not exist, then placed his phone in a Ziploc bag chest-high in the cattails on February 14, 2019 - why did he leave $4,000 in an envelope on the passenger seat that morning and walk into the reeds? What decision was sealed with that phone?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first late-night call in November 2017 to the discovery of the phone at Pelham Reservoir on Valentine’s Day morning 2019, tracing the app connection, the transfers, and the moment his daughter uncovered the truth - and we ask what drove him to that specific act by the reservoir.

Person: Roy Thompson
Date: February 14, 2019
Location: Pelham Reservoir, Ohio
Amount: $31,000
Perpetrator alias: Heather McCarthy

- The phone was found upright, sealed inside a Ziploc bag, about sixty feet from the trail at chest height.
- The phone’s memory contained fourteen months of calls, messages, and bank transfer records totaling $31,000.
- Roy Thompson wired transfers ranging from $800 to $6,000, deposited at ATMs in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Roy parked at the reservoir for twenty minutes with an envelope holding $4,000 in cash on the passenger seat before placing the phone in the cattails.
- The profile “Heather McCarthy” contacted Roy after he downloaded NutriPath in autumn 2017; the first call came at approximately 10:45 p.m, in November 2017.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1137falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-on-the-porch-how-a-fake-un-captain-stole-9-400--73098191
Cold, steady loneliness met a small, unmarked envelope on a Nebraska mailbox and led to a two-year federal fraud case that cost a widow $9,400. A phony United Nations captain, fake photos taken from a veterans' site, and a fabricated backstory turned a rancher's private savings into a con-so how did a single envelope ignite the scheme?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began the morning the paperboy found the envelope and trace the online relationship, financial requests, and identities involved to the moment money changed hands. How did trust formed over messages and calls turn into a theft from a woman protecting her late husband's savings?

Person: Pamela Zeller
Person: Curtis Zeller
Person: Person in photo - Steven Harley
Person: Impostor name used - George McCarthy
Amount: $9,400

- The envelope was found at 7:00 AM on January 7, 2021, with no stamp, postmark, or return address.
- Pamela Zeller turned 44 the summer before the envelope arrived and ran 160 acres with 60 head of cattle.
- Curtis Zeller died in spring 2019 from a cardiac event in the cab of his tractor.
- Pamela's four certificates of deposit totaled roughly $230,000, with the smallest CD holding $22,000 and the largest $92,000.
- The impostor first asked for money in May 2021, requesting $3,400 to cover transit paperwork and promising immediate repayment.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098191Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Envelope on the Porch: How a Fake UN Captain Stole $9,400 Cold, steady loneliness met a small, unmarked envelope on a Nebraska mailbox and led to a two-year federal fraud case that cost a widow $9,400. A phony United Nations captain, fake...
Cold, steady loneliness met a small, unmarked envelope on a Nebraska mailbox and led to a two-year federal fraud case that cost a widow $9,400. A phony United Nations captain, fake photos taken from a veterans' site, and a fabricated backstory turned a rancher's private savings into a con-so how did a single envelope ignite the scheme?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began the morning the paperboy found the envelope and trace the online relationship, financial requests, and identities involved to the moment money changed hands. How did trust formed over messages and calls turn into a theft from a woman protecting her late husband's savings?

Person: Pamela Zeller
Person: Curtis Zeller
Person: Person in photo - Steven Harley
Person: Impostor name used - George McCarthy
Amount: $9,400

- The envelope was found at 7:00 AM on January 7, 2021, with no stamp, postmark, or return address.
- Pamela Zeller turned 44 the summer before the envelope arrived and ran 160 acres with 60 head of cattle.
- Curtis Zeller died in spring 2019 from a cardiac event in the cab of his tractor.
- Pamela's four certificates of deposit totaled roughly $230,000, with the smallest CD holding $22,000 and the largest $92,000.
- The impostor first asked for money in May 2021, requesting $3,400 to cover transit paperwork and promising immediate repayment.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1197falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-studied-her-queenside-for-weeks-then-stole-her-heart-and-savings--73098189
A meticulous chess player was targeted by someone who mapped her moves, her schedule, and even her grandmother's routines before the first intimate message arrived; a yellow sticky note with a bank routing number and the single word "Finally" tied a discarded laptop back to a three-week surveillance that began on a chess platform. How did a game opened on Chessvault become the breadcrumb trail that led to theft and an unexpected act of anger?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a public chess profile to private messages and finally to physical evidence, showing how online moves turned into real-world intrusion and financial loss - and ask what the thrower of the laptop revealed by his fury.

Person: Erin Edwards
Age: 28
Location: Caldwell Bluff, Ohio
Platform: Chessvault
Perpetrator: Ryan Erickson

- Laptop was found on Fenwick Mill Road at 9:42 AM on December 9, 2019, intact and undamaged.
- Sticky note inside the laptop vent listed a bank routing number, an account number, and the single word "Finally."
- Ryan Erickson created the KarpovDisciple88 account in June 2019 and searched players within 200 miles.
- Erin and KarpovDisciple88 corresponded and played games for six weeks before messages turned intimate.
- Ryan had a prior conviction for check fraud in 2016 and learned competitive chess during an 18-month correctional sentence.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098189Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Studied Her Queenside for Weeks - Then Stole Her Heart and Savings A meticulous chess player was targeted by someone who mapped her moves, her schedule, and even her grandmother's routines before the first intimate message arrived; a yellow...
A meticulous chess player was targeted by someone who mapped her moves, her schedule, and even her grandmother's routines before the first intimate message arrived; a yellow sticky note with a bank routing number and the single word "Finally" tied a discarded laptop back to a three-week surveillance that began on a chess platform. How did a game opened on Chessvault become the breadcrumb trail that led to theft and an unexpected act of anger?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a public chess profile to private messages and finally to physical evidence, showing how online moves turned into real-world intrusion and financial loss - and ask what the thrower of the laptop revealed by his fury.

Person: Erin Edwards
Age: 28
Location: Caldwell Bluff, Ohio
Platform: Chessvault
Perpetrator: Ryan Erickson

- Laptop was found on Fenwick Mill Road at 9:42 AM on December 9, 2019, intact and undamaged.
- Sticky note inside the laptop vent listed a bank routing number, an account number, and the single word "Finally."
- Ryan Erickson created the KarpovDisciple88 account in June 2019 and searched players within 200 miles.
- Erin and KarpovDisciple88 corresponded and played games for six weeks before messages turned intimate.
- Ryan had a prior conviction for check fraud in 2016 and learned competitive chess during an 18-month correctional sentence.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1234falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-basket-on-county-road-twelve-how-love-became-50-000-theft--73098186
Fear that the person you trust online is a perfect lie: a wicker Easter basket on a frozen meter box led to a fourteen-month fraud that stole more than $50,000 from cancer survivors in a Facebook support group-how did a scraped LinkedIn photo and careful messages turn into interstate theft? Who was really behind the man they called Dennis Wells?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the first message to the moment the basket was found and the totals added up, describing the people, the timeline of requests, and the small records that became crucial evidence. What did a spiral notebook, a scraped profile picture, and an empty rural property reveal about the scam?

Person: Connie Bowers
Person: Beverly Crane
Person: Robert Paine
Location: County Road Twelve, Harlan County, Iowa
Group: "Midwest Women After Treatment"

- The fraud ran for fourteen months before the wicker basket was discovered.
- Connie made transfers of $4,000 in May, $6,200 in July, and $11,000 by September.
- The wicker basket was found on a Tuesday morning in November at nine degrees Fahrenheit.
- The Facebook group was founded and moderated by Beverly Crane in Des Moines.
- The stolen total exceeded fifty thousand dollars from two women.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098186Sun, 06 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Basket on County Road Twelve: How Love Became $50,000 Theft Fear that the person you trust online is a perfect lie: a wicker Easter basket on a frozen meter box led to a fourteen-month fraud that stole more than $50,000 from cancer survivors in...
Fear that the person you trust online is a perfect lie: a wicker Easter basket on a frozen meter box led to a fourteen-month fraud that stole more than $50,000 from cancer survivors in a Facebook support group-how did a scraped LinkedIn photo and careful messages turn into interstate theft? Who was really behind the man they called Dennis Wells?

In this episode, we tell what happened from the first message to the moment the basket was found and the totals added up, describing the people, the timeline of requests, and the small records that became crucial evidence. What did a spiral notebook, a scraped profile picture, and an empty rural property reveal about the scam?

Person: Connie Bowers
Person: Beverly Crane
Person: Robert Paine
Location: County Road Twelve, Harlan County, Iowa
Group: "Midwest Women After Treatment"

- The fraud ran for fourteen months before the wicker basket was discovered.
- Connie made transfers of $4,000 in May, $6,200 in July, and $11,000 by September.
- The wicker basket was found on a Tuesday morning in November at nine degrees Fahrenheit.
- The Facebook group was founded and moderated by Beverly Crane in Des Moines.
- The stolen total exceeded fifty thousand dollars from two women.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1107falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-green-mailbox-how-a-love-scam-left-4-500-missing--73098183
A $4,300 cash envelope, a raised flag on a green mailbox by a river, and a handwritten note that said "For the shipment. Do not go to the apartment. I will find you." How did a cautious 23-year-old social work student end up driving to a lonely trail before sunrise to leave that money? Who was the man she thought she trusted?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first handwritten letter to the mailbox drop and the discoveries that followed. You will hear how the correspondence began, the steps investigators took, and the unanswered question about the method that persuaded Janet Lawson to act.

Person: Janet Lawson
Date: October 9, 2019 at 7:41 AM
Amount: $4,300 in cash
Location: Keswick River Trail, six feet from the river bank
Correspondence: 41 handwritten letters postmarked from Accra found in a shoebox under her bed

- Janet Lawson was 23 years old and lived alone in a studio apartment on Delaney Street.
- Janet kept a 3.4 grade point average while finishing social work studies at Clover State University.
- The first letter arrived nine days after the NGO email that initiated the pen-pal match in September 2017.
- Keith Price opened a cash-paid mail drop box in Accra in August 2017, nine days before the fake NGO email was sent.
- Investigators found 41 handwritten letters, each postmarked from Accra, among Janet’s belongings.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098183Sat, 05 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Green Mailbox: How a Love Scam Left $4,500 Missing A $4,300 cash envelope, a raised flag on a green mailbox by a river, and a handwritten note that said "For the shipment. Do not go to the apartment. I will find you." How did a cautious...
A $4,300 cash envelope, a raised flag on a green mailbox by a river, and a handwritten note that said "For the shipment. Do not go to the apartment. I will find you." How did a cautious 23-year-old social work student end up driving to a lonely trail before sunrise to leave that money? Who was the man she thought she trusted?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first handwritten letter to the mailbox drop and the discoveries that followed. You will hear how the correspondence began, the steps investigators took, and the unanswered question about the method that persuaded Janet Lawson to act.

Person: Janet Lawson
Date: October 9, 2019 at 7:41 AM
Amount: $4,300 in cash
Location: Keswick River Trail, six feet from the river bank
Correspondence: 41 handwritten letters postmarked from Accra found in a shoebox under her bed

- Janet Lawson was 23 years old and lived alone in a studio apartment on Delaney Street.
- Janet kept a 3.4 grade point average while finishing social work studies at Clover State University.
- The first letter arrived nine days after the NGO email that initiated the pen-pal match in September 2017.
- Keith Price opened a cash-paid mail drop box in Accra in August 2017, nine days before the fake NGO email was sent.
- Investigators found 41 handwritten letters, each postmarked from Accra, among Janet’s belongings.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1139falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-card-how-alan-bought-jean-s-trust-and-9-000--73098180
A laminated index card with a handwritten code stuck to an electrical panel became the last visible trace of a year-long online romance that cost a teacher $9,000. The card read “For Alan - the code is 1-9-8-4, same as always. I trust you completely. - J.” Who wrote it, and why was it left on a house in Draper Falls?

In this episode, we tell how a thirty-eight-year-old fifth grade teacher named Jean Brooks met someone calling himself Alan Moore online, how their messages unfolded over thirteen months, and how small, specific money requests led to transfers totalling $9,000-so what exactly broke the pattern and left that card as evidence?

Person: Jean Brooks
Age: 38
Location: Norwood Terrace, Draper Falls, Ohio
Amount: $9,000
Timeline: August 2017 to November 2017 (first requests), correspondence continued thirteen months

- Jean bought a house in cash on Norwood Terrace and moved in with her cat, Biscuit.
- Jean created an online profile in August 2017; eleven days later she received a message from “Alan Moore.”
- Alan’s profile claimed he was an architect based in Portland, Oregon, deaf since birth, working on a long-term contract in West Africa.
- Between October and November 2017 Jean sent irregular transfers that totalled $9,000 after four financial requests.
- A laminated index card reading the code 1-9-8-4 with the signature “- J.” was found pressed to an electrical panel and later placed into an evidence bag.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098180Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Laminated Card: How "Alan" Bought Jean's Trust-and $9,000 A laminated index card with a handwritten code stuck to an electrical panel became the last visible trace of a year-long online romance that cost a teacher $9,000. The card read “For...
A laminated index card with a handwritten code stuck to an electrical panel became the last visible trace of a year-long online romance that cost a teacher $9,000. The card read “For Alan - the code is 1-9-8-4, same as always. I trust you completely. - J.” Who wrote it, and why was it left on a house in Draper Falls?

In this episode, we tell how a thirty-eight-year-old fifth grade teacher named Jean Brooks met someone calling himself Alan Moore online, how their messages unfolded over thirteen months, and how small, specific money requests led to transfers totalling $9,000-so what exactly broke the pattern and left that card as evidence?

Person: Jean Brooks
Age: 38
Location: Norwood Terrace, Draper Falls, Ohio
Amount: $9,000
Timeline: August 2017 to November 2017 (first requests), correspondence continued thirteen months

- Jean bought a house in cash on Norwood Terrace and moved in with her cat, Biscuit.
- Jean created an online profile in August 2017; eleven days later she received a message from “Alan Moore.”
- Alan’s profile claimed he was an architect based in Portland, Oregon, deaf since birth, working on a long-term contract in West Africa.
- Between October and November 2017 Jean sent irregular transfers that totalled $9,000 after four financial requests.
- A laminated index card reading the code 1-9-8-4 with the signature “- J.” was found pressed to an electrical panel and later placed into an evidence bag.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1146falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-loved-woodworking-then-he-lost-74-000-to-a-stranger--73098176
A retired woodworker vanished from his own kitchen while a fresh pot of coffee dripped - and he had already sent $74,000 to a man who did not exist. How did four months of online trust, a fake profile built from three strangers, and one voicemail lead Roger Callahan out the door and into disappearance?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a Facebook friend request to the morning Roger’s truck was gone and his wallet left on the dresser, tracing the clues investigators used to link a fabricated identity to a man in Louisville and the financial trail that followed. What convinced a cautious, routine-minded 62-year-old to walk out with a voicemail and never return?

Person: Roger Callahan
Date: August 8, 2019
Age: 62
Amount: $74,000
Location: Birchdale Avenue, Kemper

- Roger’s coffee pot was brewing and a full pot was hot when Michelle Smith arrived at 9:14 a.m.
- Roger had accepted a Facebook friend request from “Daniel Harwick” in April 2019 and spoke with him daily for four months.
- The profile photo used Steve Nowak’s images, which Nowak had complained were used without authorization about eight months earlier.
- The fake biography combined details from Alan Morse’s biography and emotional language from Tom Biel’s widower blog.
- Neil Bell, age 44, renting in Louisville, was identified as the man who built the false identity.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098176Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Loved Woodworking - Then He Lost $74,000 to a Stranger A retired woodworker vanished from his own kitchen while a fresh pot of coffee dripped - and he had already sent $74,000 to a man who did not exist. How did four months of online trust, a...
A retired woodworker vanished from his own kitchen while a fresh pot of coffee dripped - and he had already sent $74,000 to a man who did not exist. How did four months of online trust, a fake profile built from three strangers, and one voicemail lead Roger Callahan out the door and into disappearance?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a Facebook friend request to the morning Roger’s truck was gone and his wallet left on the dresser, tracing the clues investigators used to link a fabricated identity to a man in Louisville and the financial trail that followed. What convinced a cautious, routine-minded 62-year-old to walk out with a voicemail and never return?

Person: Roger Callahan
Date: August 8, 2019
Age: 62
Amount: $74,000
Location: Birchdale Avenue, Kemper

- Roger’s coffee pot was brewing and a full pot was hot when Michelle Smith arrived at 9:14 a.m.
- Roger had accepted a Facebook friend request from “Daniel Harwick” in April 2019 and spoke with him daily for four months.
- The profile photo used Steve Nowak’s images, which Nowak had complained were used without authorization about eight months earlier.
- The fake biography combined details from Alan Morse’s biography and emotional language from Tom Biel’s widower blog.
- Neil Bell, age 44, renting in Louisville, was identified as the man who built the false identity.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1163falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-beagle-the-waterproof-phone-and-the-940-grief-scam--73098172
Grief made him predictable: two daily feedings for a beagle, a half-mile loop, a warehouse shift at 5:45 a.m. That routine let a fake profile on a grief network extract $940 in staged crises, and a waterproof phone hidden in a sycamore root-powered on and registered to a man who did not exist-became the key to exposing a scripted fraud. Who built the operation and why no one expected the phone to be found?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a new Heartline Grief Network message to the discovery in Beller Creek, detailing how conversations, payment records, and a recovered phone connected to an organized scheme that targeted a recent bereavement. What investigators uncovered about the profiles, scripts, and timing explains how $940 was sent in pieces.

Person: Duane Fleming
Location: Crestline, Ohio
Dog: Hatch, ten-year-old beagle
Platform: Heartline Grief Network
Amount: $940 (sent over six weeks)

- Duane fed Hatch at 6:15 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. twice daily and walked the same half-mile loop every day.
- Duane joined Heartline Grief Network in February 2022, roughly three months after his mother Pauline died in November 2021.
- Messages from the profile "Eric Murphy" became daily by late February and continued for nearly four months before the first money request.
- Duane sent a total of $940 through a payment app in multiple transfers over six weeks, each following staged crises timed to his paycheck cycle.
- Investigators found in a storage unit three prepaid laptops, a laminated list of eight active grief profiles, and a spiral notebook with scripted emotional responses and interview questions.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098172Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Beagle, the Waterproof Phone, and the $940 Grief Scam Grief made him predictable: two daily feedings for a beagle, a half-mile loop, a warehouse shift at 5:45 a.m. That routine let a fake profile on a grief network extract $940 in staged...
Grief made him predictable: two daily feedings for a beagle, a half-mile loop, a warehouse shift at 5:45 a.m. That routine let a fake profile on a grief network extract $940 in staged crises, and a waterproof phone hidden in a sycamore root-powered on and registered to a man who did not exist-became the key to exposing a scripted fraud. Who built the operation and why no one expected the phone to be found?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a new Heartline Grief Network message to the discovery in Beller Creek, detailing how conversations, payment records, and a recovered phone connected to an organized scheme that targeted a recent bereavement. What investigators uncovered about the profiles, scripts, and timing explains how $940 was sent in pieces.

Person: Duane Fleming
Location: Crestline, Ohio
Dog: Hatch, ten-year-old beagle
Platform: Heartline Grief Network
Amount: $940 (sent over six weeks)

- Duane fed Hatch at 6:15 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. twice daily and walked the same half-mile loop every day.
- Duane joined Heartline Grief Network in February 2022, roughly three months after his mother Pauline died in November 2021.
- Messages from the profile "Eric Murphy" became daily by late February and continued for nearly four months before the first money request.
- Duane sent a total of $940 through a payment app in multiple transfers over six weeks, each following staged crises timed to his paycheck cycle.
- Investigators found in a storage unit three prepaid laptops, a laminated list of eight active grief profiles, and a spiral notebook with scripted emotional responses and interview questions.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>990falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/cream-leather-portfolio-of-withdrawal-slips-deliberately-placed-in-cutter-creek--73098169
The creek yielded a sodden cream leather portfolio weighted with a river stone and inside were bundled withdrawal slips, the largest reading $14,000-altogether $41,000 vanished and no one has been held fully accountable. Who carried the portfolio down to a roadless bend in Cutter Creek and why was Nicole Vogel waiting two hours and forty minutes at an airport the same week she wired thousands to a woman she met online?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a June 11 discovery back through the months of messages, calls, and transfers that connected Nicole Vogel to a woman named Victoria Callahan. We map what Nicole did, what she trusted, and the unanswered moments that link a creek, an airport, and twelve financial transfers.

Person: Nicole Vogel
Date: June 11, 2019
Location: Cutter Creek
Amount: $41,000 total across 12 transactions
Person: Victoria Callahan (Vicki)

- A cream leather portfolio was found in Cutter Creek on the morning of June 11, 2019, weighted with a smooth river stone.
- Inside the portfolio were bundled bank withdrawal slips still banded in paper rings; the outer slip of each bundle remained legible.
- The largest legible withdrawal slip read $14,000.
- Nicole Vogel waited in the Indianapolis International Airport baggage claim for two hours and forty minutes and the person she was waiting for never arrived.
- Between late February and early June 2019 Nicole sent twelve transactions totaling $41,000 after requests presented as customs holds and official-looking documentation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098169Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at Obomediacream leather portfolio of withdrawal slips deliberately placed in Cutter Creek The creek yielded a sodden cream leather portfolio weighted with a river stone and inside were bundled withdrawal slips, the largest reading $14,000-altogether $41,000...
The creek yielded a sodden cream leather portfolio weighted with a river stone and inside were bundled withdrawal slips, the largest reading $14,000-altogether $41,000 vanished and no one has been held fully accountable. Who carried the portfolio down to a roadless bend in Cutter Creek and why was Nicole Vogel waiting two hours and forty minutes at an airport the same week she wired thousands to a woman she met online?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a June 11 discovery back through the months of messages, calls, and transfers that connected Nicole Vogel to a woman named Victoria Callahan. We map what Nicole did, what she trusted, and the unanswered moments that link a creek, an airport, and twelve financial transfers.

Person: Nicole Vogel
Date: June 11, 2019
Location: Cutter Creek
Amount: $41,000 total across 12 transactions
Person: Victoria Callahan (Vicki)

- A cream leather portfolio was found in Cutter Creek on the morning of June 11, 2019, weighted with a smooth river stone.
- Inside the portfolio were bundled bank withdrawal slips still banded in paper rings; the outer slip of each bundle remained legible.
- The largest legible withdrawal slip read $14,000.
- Nicole Vogel waited in the Indianapolis International Airport baggage claim for two hours and forty minutes and the person she was waiting for never arrived.
- Between late February and early June 2019 Nicole sent twelve transactions totaling $41,000 after requests presented as customs holds and official-looking documentation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1053falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-planter-the-caregiver-and-the-lie-that-took-everything--73098167
A county surveyor found a ceramic planter with the name "Debra" fired into the glaze sitting exactly on a property boundary - a photograph later retrieved by a state investigator sparked a chain that began with a woman who sent nearly $11,000 to an online suitor. How did garden markers, payment apps, and borrowed identities become the evidence that something much larger had been lost?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a routine survey walk to the messages and money transfers that tied a home health aide to an online persona, and we lay out the concrete threads investigators followed to ask: where did the planter fit into the pattern that led to this financial and emotional unraveling?

Person: Debra Donnelly
Person: Franklin Oakes
Date: October 2016 (first message from Grant Young)
Amount: nearly $11,000 sent by Debra
Location: Millrace Road farmhouse, eastern boundary

- Shannon Stewart photographed the ceramic planter with "Debra" on it while walking the eastern boundary of the Millrace Road parcel on a Tuesday in May.
- State investigator Dean Thompson found Shannon's photograph in the county records three weeks after the survey.
- Debra Donnelly had been a home health aide for six years when assigned to Franklin Oakes in June 2016.
- In October 2016, a man using the name Grant Young contacted Debra through a private Facebook group for regional home health workers.
- The first monetary request arrived January 2017 for $1,400; three weeks later $1,200 was returned, leaving a $200 pattern-establishing difference.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098167Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Planter, the Caregiver, and the Lie That Took Everything A county surveyor found a ceramic planter with the name "Debra" fired into the glaze sitting exactly on a property boundary - a photograph later retrieved by a state investigator sparked...
A county surveyor found a ceramic planter with the name "Debra" fired into the glaze sitting exactly on a property boundary - a photograph later retrieved by a state investigator sparked a chain that began with a woman who sent nearly $11,000 to an online suitor. How did garden markers, payment apps, and borrowed identities become the evidence that something much larger had been lost?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a routine survey walk to the messages and money transfers that tied a home health aide to an online persona, and we lay out the concrete threads investigators followed to ask: where did the planter fit into the pattern that led to this financial and emotional unraveling?

Person: Debra Donnelly
Person: Franklin Oakes
Date: October 2016 (first message from Grant Young)
Amount: nearly $11,000 sent by Debra
Location: Millrace Road farmhouse, eastern boundary

- Shannon Stewart photographed the ceramic planter with "Debra" on it while walking the eastern boundary of the Millrace Road parcel on a Tuesday in May.
- State investigator Dean Thompson found Shannon's photograph in the county records three weeks after the survey.
- Debra Donnelly had been a home health aide for six years when assigned to Franklin Oakes in June 2016.
- In October 2016, a man using the name Grant Young contacted Debra through a private Facebook group for regional home health workers.
- The first monetary request arrived January 2017 for $1,400; three weeks later $1,200 was returned, leaving a $200 pattern-establishing difference.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1104falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-asked-about-tomatoes-i-lost-11-000-to-a-fake-lover--73098165
Fear that the person you trust might be entirely manufactured-this episode starts with a padded mailer found on a vacant porch and a romance that began with a question about tomato varieties. How did a conversation about grow lights turn into more than $11,000 sent to a man who did not exist?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a dating app message about tomatoes to months of calls, texts, staged repayments, and escalating requests for money, and we trace the single thread that exposed the scam: a question that felt intimate but was scripted. What revealed the operation and who was really behind the profile?

Person: Debra Erickson
Date: third Thursday of April 2022
Location: Millbrook Road, Tanner County, Ohio
Amount: $11,000
Profile name: Bruce Mitchell

- At 7:40 AM on the third Thursday of April 2022, Judith Barnes found an unsealed padded mailer on the porch of a vacant ranch house containing nine $200 gift cards (Google Play and Amazon) totaling $1,800.
- Debra Erickson was 53 years old, had lived in her Colonial house in Kellerton, Ohio for 19 years, and worked as a licensed practical nurse.
- Debra created a dating app profile in January 2022 and first received a message from the profile listed as Bruce Mitchell asking specifically about which tomato variety she preferred and whether she used grow lights.
- The profile photos for Bruce Mitchell were taken without consent from a public LinkedIn profile belonging to Stephen Hollis, a structural engineer in Portland, Oregon.
- The scam began with a $400 transfer in mid-March that was repaid nine days later as a credibility move; by early April Debra had sent over $11,000 via transfer apps, wire transfers, and gift card codes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098165Sun, 30 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Asked About Tomatoes - I Lost $11,000 to a Fake Lover Fear that the person you trust might be entirely manufactured-this episode starts with a padded mailer found on a vacant porch and a romance that began with a question about tomato varieties....
Fear that the person you trust might be entirely manufactured-this episode starts with a padded mailer found on a vacant porch and a romance that began with a question about tomato varieties. How did a conversation about grow lights turn into more than $11,000 sent to a man who did not exist?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a dating app message about tomatoes to months of calls, texts, staged repayments, and escalating requests for money, and we trace the single thread that exposed the scam: a question that felt intimate but was scripted. What revealed the operation and who was really behind the profile?

Person: Debra Erickson
Date: third Thursday of April 2022
Location: Millbrook Road, Tanner County, Ohio
Amount: $11,000
Profile name: Bruce Mitchell

- At 7:40 AM on the third Thursday of April 2022, Judith Barnes found an unsealed padded mailer on the porch of a vacant ranch house containing nine $200 gift cards (Google Play and Amazon) totaling $1,800.
- Debra Erickson was 53 years old, had lived in her Colonial house in Kellerton, Ohio for 19 years, and worked as a licensed practical nurse.
- Debra created a dating app profile in January 2022 and first received a message from the profile listed as Bruce Mitchell asking specifically about which tomato variety she preferred and whether she used grow lights.
- The profile photos for Bruce Mitchell were taken without consent from a public LinkedIn profile belonging to Stephen Hollis, a structural engineer in Portland, Oregon.
- The scam began with a $400 transfer in mid-March that was repaid nine days later as a credibility move; by early April Debra had sent over $11,000 via transfer apps, wire transfers, and gift card codes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1110falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-wrote-all-my-love-four-church-fiancees-one-false-identity--73098163
A small-town congregation’s trust was turned into a blueprint for deception: four identical pale-pink cards signed “All my love, Curtis” were found in a Ziploc bag wedged on a willow root, and within days four women in the same church had said yes to the same man. Who was Curtis, why had he prepared the cards before any proposal, and how did a routine morning walk and a reverse image search unravel the lie?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from the morning a neighbor found the bag to the moment a reverse image search exposed a stolen photograph, piecing together how one man used intimate knowledge of routines and personal details to create multiple engagements. What does the chain of events reveal about the man calling himself Curtis Snyder and the lives he touched?

Date: March 7
Location: Holloway Reservoir east path
Person: Curtis Snyder (claimed)
Person: Paul Gentry (photo owner)
Officer: Patrolman Ray Solis

- At 6:14 a.m. on March 7 a Ziploc freezer bag with four greeting cards was found wedged against a willow root at the waterline.
- Patrolman Ray Solis logged the bag into Pelham Police Department property room on March 7; it remained there for eleven days before its significance was understood.
- Each card was pale pink with watercolor roses, identical in every way, signed “All my love, Curtis” but addressed to four different women from the same congregation.
- Curtis Snyder, who presented himself as a 51-year-old civil engineer with a daughter, had proposed by phone to Angela Reed, Sylvia Morse, and Terri Anson within a 72-hour window in early March.
- A reverse image search on March 8 showed the photo Snyder sent to Angela belonged to Paul Gentry, a civil engineer in Akron, Ohio, who had no connection to Pelham.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098163Sat, 29 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Wrote "All My Love": Four Church Fiancées, One False Identity A small-town congregation’s trust was turned into a blueprint for deception: four identical pale-pink cards signed “All my love, Curtis” were found in a Ziploc bag wedged on a willow...
A small-town congregation’s trust was turned into a blueprint for deception: four identical pale-pink cards signed “All my love, Curtis” were found in a Ziploc bag wedged on a willow root, and within days four women in the same church had said yes to the same man. Who was Curtis, why had he prepared the cards before any proposal, and how did a routine morning walk and a reverse image search unravel the lie?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from the morning a neighbor found the bag to the moment a reverse image search exposed a stolen photograph, piecing together how one man used intimate knowledge of routines and personal details to create multiple engagements. What does the chain of events reveal about the man calling himself Curtis Snyder and the lives he touched?

Date: March 7
Location: Holloway Reservoir east path
Person: Curtis Snyder (claimed)
Person: Paul Gentry (photo owner)
Officer: Patrolman Ray Solis

- At 6:14 a.m. on March 7 a Ziploc freezer bag with four greeting cards was found wedged against a willow root at the waterline.
- Patrolman Ray Solis logged the bag into Pelham Police Department property room on March 7; it remained there for eleven days before its significance was understood.
- Each card was pale pink with watercolor roses, identical in every way, signed “All my love, Curtis” but addressed to four different women from the same congregation.
- Curtis Snyder, who presented himself as a 51-year-old civil engineer with a daughter, had proposed by phone to Angela Reed, Sylvia Morse, and Terri Anson within a 72-hour window in early March.
- A reverse image search on March 8 showed the photo Snyder sent to Angela belonged to Paul Gentry, a civil engineer in Akron, Ohio, who had no connection to Pelham.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1048falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-jacket-on-the-porch-how-a-soldier-s-face-stole-her-savings--73098160
Fear of being betrayed by someone you trusted crept in with an olive-green jacket left on a frozen porch and six wire transfers totaling thousands - how does a dry jacket in eleven-degree air lead back to a ledger and a stolen soldier's face? What was the moment Shannon realized the man she loved was a construction of stolen photos and old grief?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a September hiking photo to a February morning on a Drale porch, tracing messages, cedar-scented letters, and escalating money requests to ask how trust was rebuilt and then dismantled. Will the jacket on the porch close the loop on who profited and why?

Person: Shannon Berry
Location: Drale, Ohio
Person: Martin Foss
Person: Christopher Alder
Date: February (morning), September (photo), late October (first transfer)

- The jacket was left at 6:19 AM on a February morning on the porch at 2214 Sutter Mill Road.
- The jacket was a United States Army dress uniform, olive green with Staff Sergeant insignia, found dry in eleven-degree air with no footprints or vehicle tracks.
- The first wire transfer arrived in late October for $420 described as a military banking freeze fee.
- Martin Foss, age fifty-three, rented month-to-month in Edna, Ohio, and had two prior fraud convictions under separate aliases.
- Photos used in the fake profile belonged to Staff Sergeant Christopher Alder, killed in Afghanistan seven years earlier at age thirty-four.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098160Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Jacket on the Porch: How a Soldier's Face Stole Her Savings Fear of being betrayed by someone you trusted crept in with an olive-green jacket left on a frozen porch and six wire transfers totaling thousands - how does a dry jacket in...
Fear of being betrayed by someone you trusted crept in with an olive-green jacket left on a frozen porch and six wire transfers totaling thousands - how does a dry jacket in eleven-degree air lead back to a ledger and a stolen soldier's face? What was the moment Shannon realized the man she loved was a construction of stolen photos and old grief?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a September hiking photo to a February morning on a Drale porch, tracing messages, cedar-scented letters, and escalating money requests to ask how trust was rebuilt and then dismantled. Will the jacket on the porch close the loop on who profited and why?

Person: Shannon Berry
Location: Drale, Ohio
Person: Martin Foss
Person: Christopher Alder
Date: February (morning), September (photo), late October (first transfer)

- The jacket was left at 6:19 AM on a February morning on the porch at 2214 Sutter Mill Road.
- The jacket was a United States Army dress uniform, olive green with Staff Sergeant insignia, found dry in eleven-degree air with no footprints or vehicle tracks.
- The first wire transfer arrived in late October for $420 described as a military banking freeze fee.
- Martin Foss, age fifty-three, rented month-to-month in Edna, Ohio, and had two prior fraud convictions under separate aliases.
- Photos used in the fake profile belonged to Staff Sergeant Christopher Alder, killed in Afghanistan seven years earlier at age thirty-four.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1172falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-letters-under-the-snow-how-keith-took-ross-s-life-savings--73098156
Fear tightened Ross’s world into a single, private secret: by October 2022 he had wired $26,000 to a man he met online, and on January 9 a shoebox of 43 stamped, signed letters addressed “Your Keith” was left on Ridgecrest Road in eleven-degree cold. The postmarks were drawn in blue marker, the return address listed a non-existent North Sea platform, and the box had been placed after the first plow - so who walked back alone in the dark to park a truck at the curb?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first messages in late March 2022 to the shoebox on a frozen road in January, tracing the pattern of requests, the timing of deposits, and the small inconsistencies a neighbor noticed-then explore the system behind those coincidences: how was the trust built, and where did the architecture of that fraud move next?

Person: Ross Hicks
Date: January 9, 2023 (four seventeen in the morning)
Location: Ridgecrest Road, Devereaux
Amount: $26,000 transferred by October 2022
Envelopes: 43 sealed, each signed “Your Keith”

- Ross was fifty-four and a facilities manager who lived in the same house for nineteen years.
- The fake profile used photos of Tom Greer, a real fifty-three-year-old civil engineer from near Portland, Oregon.
- The first money request was $1,200 on July 29, 2022, described as a payroll banking error.
- Every subsequent financial request arrived within three days of the 1st or 15th of a month.
- The shoebox had no snow underneath, indicating it was placed between 1:00 and 4:00 a.m, after the first plow.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098156Thu, 27 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Letters Under the Snow: How "Keith" Took Ross's Life Savings Fear tightened Ross’s world into a single, private secret: by October 2022 he had wired $26,000 to a man he met online, and on January 9 a shoebox of 43 stamped, signed letters...
Fear tightened Ross’s world into a single, private secret: by October 2022 he had wired $26,000 to a man he met online, and on January 9 a shoebox of 43 stamped, signed letters addressed “Your Keith” was left on Ridgecrest Road in eleven-degree cold. The postmarks were drawn in blue marker, the return address listed a non-existent North Sea platform, and the box had been placed after the first plow - so who walked back alone in the dark to park a truck at the curb?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first messages in late March 2022 to the shoebox on a frozen road in January, tracing the pattern of requests, the timing of deposits, and the small inconsistencies a neighbor noticed-then explore the system behind those coincidences: how was the trust built, and where did the architecture of that fraud move next?

Person: Ross Hicks
Date: January 9, 2023 (four seventeen in the morning)
Location: Ridgecrest Road, Devereaux
Amount: $26,000 transferred by October 2022
Envelopes: 43 sealed, each signed “Your Keith”

- Ross was fifty-four and a facilities manager who lived in the same house for nineteen years.
- The fake profile used photos of Tom Greer, a real fifty-three-year-old civil engineer from near Portland, Oregon.
- The first money request was $1,200 on July 29, 2022, described as a payroll banking error.
- Every subsequent financial request arrived within three days of the 1st or 15th of a month.
- The shoebox had no snow underneath, indicating it was placed between 1:00 and 4:00 a.m, after the first plow.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1069falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-sang-her-heart-a-synthetic-lover-eleven-months-one-lie--73098152
Cold intimacy turned into a slow, perfect deception: a twenty-one-year-old posted language lessons and fell in love with a voice that ran for 341 consecutive days. How did a synthetic, commercially licensed voice and harvested photos sustain an eleven-month romance without a single interruption-and what did investigators find on a warm laptop inside an empty bungalow?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from January to the discovery in December and trace how a language-exchange connection grew into daily calls, declarations of love, and a fabricated identity-raising the question of how much of a relationship can be real when the voice on the other end is not.

Person: Kathleen Burns
Age: 21
App: LingoLink
Duration: 341 days
Investigator: Ronald Harris

- Kathleen posted language recordings to LingoLink starting in early 2022.
- A profile named "Grant Whitley" first messaged Kathleen on January 9, 2022.
- By June 2022 Kathleen and "Grant" had exchanged "I love you."
- The synthetic voice ran without interruption for 341 consecutive days.
- Investigators found a warm laptop inside an empty bungalow in December.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098152Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Sang Her Heart - A Synthetic Lover, Eleven Months, One Lie Cold intimacy turned into a slow, perfect deception: a twenty-one-year-old posted language lessons and fell in love with a voice that ran for 341 consecutive days. How did a synthetic,...
Cold intimacy turned into a slow, perfect deception: a twenty-one-year-old posted language lessons and fell in love with a voice that ran for 341 consecutive days. How did a synthetic, commercially licensed voice and harvested photos sustain an eleven-month romance without a single interruption-and what did investigators find on a warm laptop inside an empty bungalow?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from January to the discovery in December and trace how a language-exchange connection grew into daily calls, declarations of love, and a fabricated identity-raising the question of how much of a relationship can be real when the voice on the other end is not.

Person: Kathleen Burns
Age: 21
App: LingoLink
Duration: 341 days
Investigator: Ronald Harris

- Kathleen posted language recordings to LingoLink starting in early 2022.
- A profile named "Grant Whitley" first messaged Kathleen on January 9, 2022.
- By June 2022 Kathleen and "Grant" had exchanged "I love you."
- The synthetic voice ran without interruption for 341 consecutive days.
- Investigators found a warm laptop inside an empty bungalow in December.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1130falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-gave-his-heart-to-a-stranger-they-took-his-life-savings--73098150
Fear of being betrayed after opening up is a cold, intimate terror - and this episode begins with a shoebox of photos and a brass key found on a frosty guardrail that links a careful veteran to a stranger who would erase his savings. How did a man described as "slow to trust" give away $11,000 to someone he never met, and what did the returned $400 buy the scammer?

In this episode, we follow Mark Wells from his routines and recovery after Afghanistan to an online friendship that moved from forum messages to phone calls in six weeks, and the escalating money requests that followed. What was in the 32-page script the scammer used, and how did small acts of apparent honesty lead to a total loss?

Person: Mark Wells
Date: November 2021
Location: Morgansville, Tennessee
Case: Steadfast Ground online romance scam
Amount: $11,000

- A shoebox with 17 photographs, letters tied with kitchen twine, a spiral notebook, and a small brass key labeled "Cabin 4" was found on a guardrail on a Tuesday morning.
- Mark Wells returned from Afghanistan in spring 2014 after two deployments and an IED that caused a fractured femur and partial hearing loss.
- Mark adopted a Holland Lop rabbit named Clover and followed a strict care schedule of pellets at 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., a leaf salad at noon, and 30 minutes of exercise at 8:00 p.m.
- Mark joined the Steadfast Ground forum in spring 2019 and, within less than three weeks in October 2021, received a private message from a user named Robert Lawson.
- Over six weeks, Lawson moved contact from the forum to email, texts, and calls, then engineered money requests that ultimately cost Mark $11,000 after an initial $400 loan that was repaid two weeks later.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098150Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Gave His Heart to a Stranger - They Took His Life Savings Fear of being betrayed after opening up is a cold, intimate terror - and this episode begins with a shoebox of photos and a brass key found on a frosty guardrail that links a careful...
Fear of being betrayed after opening up is a cold, intimate terror - and this episode begins with a shoebox of photos and a brass key found on a frosty guardrail that links a careful veteran to a stranger who would erase his savings. How did a man described as "slow to trust" give away $11,000 to someone he never met, and what did the returned $400 buy the scammer?

In this episode, we follow Mark Wells from his routines and recovery after Afghanistan to an online friendship that moved from forum messages to phone calls in six weeks, and the escalating money requests that followed. What was in the 32-page script the scammer used, and how did small acts of apparent honesty lead to a total loss?

Person: Mark Wells
Date: November 2021
Location: Morgansville, Tennessee
Case: Steadfast Ground online romance scam
Amount: $11,000

- A shoebox with 17 photographs, letters tied with kitchen twine, a spiral notebook, and a small brass key labeled "Cabin 4" was found on a guardrail on a Tuesday morning.
- Mark Wells returned from Afghanistan in spring 2014 after two deployments and an IED that caused a fractured femur and partial hearing loss.
- Mark adopted a Holland Lop rabbit named Clover and followed a strict care schedule of pellets at 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., a leaf salad at noon, and 30 minutes of exercise at 8:00 p.m.
- Mark joined the Steadfast Ground forum in spring 2019 and, within less than three weeks in October 2021, received a private message from a user named Robert Lawson.
- Over six weeks, Lawson moved contact from the forum to email, texts, and calls, then engineered money requests that ultimately cost Mark $11,000 after an initial $400 loan that was repaid two weeks later.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1100falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-mimosa-how-dale-becker-stole-sandra-s-life-savings--73098147
Fear that the person you love might be a lie - and a stranger could quietly take everything you saved - starts with a laminated flower wedged beneath a water meter. A meter reader found the pressed mimosa with the words "He was never there" on the back; fourteen months later two hundred thirty-eight thousand dollars had vanished. How did six weeks of carefully staged intimacy lead Sandra to wire life-changing sums, and what did that little flower prove?

In this episode, we trace the sequence of events from a Tuesday in March to the unraveling of a fraud that moved through email, phone calls, and international bank transfers, asking how trust was manufactured and when warning signs were missed. What did the laminated mimosa mean, and why did it end up on a federal exhibit list?

Person: Sandra Ward
Age: 61
Occupation: Senior curator of ancient Near East collections at the Grover City Museum of Cultural History
Amount: $238,000
Perpetrator alias: Dale Becker (real name Thomas Ryker)

- A meter reader named Douglas Pruitt found the laminated mimosa beneath a water meter on Sycamore Trace and photographed it before touching it.
- The back of the flower bore four handwritten words: "He was never there."
- Sandra exchanged messages with "Dale Becker" for six weeks, moving from the museum portal to personal email, then to weekly Wednesday calls at 9:15 p.m.
- In January Sandra wired $8,000 to a correspondent account in Malta as a bond for a supposed exporter in Nicosia.
- Before the first message, a bot linked to phishing operations had accessed the museum's public portal 47 times in October.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098147Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Laminated Mimosa: How "Dale Becker" Stole Sandra's Life Savings Fear that the person you love might be a lie - and a stranger could quietly take everything you saved - starts with a laminated flower wedged beneath a water meter. A meter reader...
Fear that the person you love might be a lie - and a stranger could quietly take everything you saved - starts with a laminated flower wedged beneath a water meter. A meter reader found the pressed mimosa with the words "He was never there" on the back; fourteen months later two hundred thirty-eight thousand dollars had vanished. How did six weeks of carefully staged intimacy lead Sandra to wire life-changing sums, and what did that little flower prove?

In this episode, we trace the sequence of events from a Tuesday in March to the unraveling of a fraud that moved through email, phone calls, and international bank transfers, asking how trust was manufactured and when warning signs were missed. What did the laminated mimosa mean, and why did it end up on a federal exhibit list?

Person: Sandra Ward
Age: 61
Occupation: Senior curator of ancient Near East collections at the Grover City Museum of Cultural History
Amount: $238,000
Perpetrator alias: Dale Becker (real name Thomas Ryker)

- A meter reader named Douglas Pruitt found the laminated mimosa beneath a water meter on Sycamore Trace and photographed it before touching it.
- The back of the flower bore four handwritten words: "He was never there."
- Sandra exchanged messages with "Dale Becker" for six weeks, moving from the museum portal to personal email, then to weekly Wednesday calls at 9:15 p.m.
- In January Sandra wired $8,000 to a correspondent account in Malta as a bond for a supposed exporter in Nicosia.
- Before the first message, a bot linked to phishing operations had accessed the museum's public portal 47 times in October.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1244falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-said-he-had-a-daughter-31-400-in-five-months--73098144
Fear that someone you loved was never real: Jason Griffin sent $31,400 across 11 Western Union receipts over five months to a man who claimed to be a long-haul trucker with an eight-year-old daughter. How did a careful, methodical life get folded into a scripted con, and what single discovery finally exposed the fiction?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of messages, transfers, and small details that turned into a pattern of deception, and we trace how friends, receipts, and a lone crinkled artifact on a porch revealed the truth. What part did the script and the photo inconsistencies play in unraveling the scheme?

Person: Jason Griffin
Person: Kent Morris
Amount: $31,400
Transfers: 11
Period: Five months

- Jason found eleven Western Union receipts under his welcome mat on September 3.
- The receipts totaled $31,400 sent over a five-month period.
- The first money transfer followed a mid-July call claiming a $2,800 clinic bill for an eight-year-old daughter.
- Gifts: Jason mailed a stuffed rabbit and coloring book in early August to a PO box that later became unavailable.
- A photo sent in late August claimed to be taken at 9 p.m. in Little Rock but showed midday lighting.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098144Sun, 23 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Said He Had a Daughter - $31,400 in Five Months Fear that someone you loved was never real: Jason Griffin sent $31,400 across 11 Western Union receipts over five months to a man who claimed to be a long-haul trucker with an eight-year-old...
Fear that someone you loved was never real: Jason Griffin sent $31,400 across 11 Western Union receipts over five months to a man who claimed to be a long-haul trucker with an eight-year-old daughter. How did a careful, methodical life get folded into a scripted con, and what single discovery finally exposed the fiction?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of messages, transfers, and small details that turned into a pattern of deception, and we trace how friends, receipts, and a lone crinkled artifact on a porch revealed the truth. What part did the script and the photo inconsistencies play in unraveling the scheme?

Person: Jason Griffin
Person: Kent Morris
Amount: $31,400
Transfers: 11
Period: Five months

- Jason found eleven Western Union receipts under his welcome mat on September 3.
- The receipts totaled $31,400 sent over a five-month period.
- The first money transfer followed a mid-July call claiming a $2,800 clinic bill for an eight-year-old daughter.
- Gifts: Jason mailed a stuffed rabbit and coloring book in early August to a PO box that later became unavailable.
- A photo sent in late August claimed to be taken at 9 p.m. in Little Rock but showed midday lighting.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1084falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-wrote-like-a-dead-critic-i-lost-5-500-to-it--73098142
The first message that felt off was a perfectly warm goodnight text - nineteen words copied verbatim from a 2011 food magazine byline. A dead critic's sentences threaded through six months of messages, a lost phone found on a hiking trail, and $16,500 that vanished between two women who never spoke: how did a voice borrowed from a deceased writer turn into a costly deception?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and people in the record to show how the relationship began online, moved to an anonymous platform, and then unraveled after a lost phone became evidence; could an encrypted, identity-free app and a love of precise prose have enabled a literary impersonation that cost real money?

Person: Jean Watson
Age: 48
Location: Varnell, Ohio
Platform: Amore Vero
Amount missing: $16,500

- Jean Watson had 40,000 subscribers to her food blog Plate & Place.
- The copied line contained exactly nineteen words and matched a 2011 article by Aldo Ferrini.
- Aldo Ferrini died in 2016 at age 61 of cardiac arrest in a Bologna restaurant.
- Jean lost her phone on a hiking trail in August 2019; its recovery triggered the investigation.
- The correspondence with "Norman Hughes" began in February 2019 and continued daily across multiple platforms for four months.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098142Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Wrote Like a Dead Critic - I Lost $5,500 to It The first message that felt off was a perfectly warm goodnight text - nineteen words copied verbatim from a 2011 food magazine byline. A dead critic's sentences threaded through six months of...
The first message that felt off was a perfectly warm goodnight text - nineteen words copied verbatim from a 2011 food magazine byline. A dead critic's sentences threaded through six months of messages, a lost phone found on a hiking trail, and $16,500 that vanished between two women who never spoke: how did a voice borrowed from a deceased writer turn into a costly deception?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and people in the record to show how the relationship began online, moved to an anonymous platform, and then unraveled after a lost phone became evidence; could an encrypted, identity-free app and a love of precise prose have enabled a literary impersonation that cost real money?

Person: Jean Watson
Age: 48
Location: Varnell, Ohio
Platform: Amore Vero
Amount missing: $16,500

- Jean Watson had 40,000 subscribers to her food blog Plate & Place.
- The copied line contained exactly nineteen words and matched a 2011 article by Aldo Ferrini.
- Aldo Ferrini died in 2016 at age 61 of cardiac arrest in a Bologna restaurant.
- Jean lost her phone on a hiking trail in August 2019; its recovery triggered the investigation.
- The correspondence with "Norman Hughes" began in February 2019 and continued daily across multiple platforms for four months.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1124falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-voice-that-stole-36-000-how-a-fake-coast-guard-won-him-over--73098139
Loneliness made him vulnerable: a man with a steady routine lost $36,000 to a constructed persona who repaid an initial loan to prove trust. How did months of morning messages, a single six-minute video call, and a staged repayment convince him to hand over everything?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the phone found at Pelican Cut to the bank parking lot where Earl sat frozen, and we outline how the impersonator built credibility through voice, small asks, and bureaucratic excuses. What sequence of touches and transfers turned a careful marine technician into a victim?

Person: Earl Brooks
Date: July 11, 2019
Location: Pelican Cut; Regions Bank on Delamar Street; Grover's Landing, Mississippi
Amount: $36,000
Investigator: Beverly Edwards

- Phone found face-up in sedge grass at Pelican Cut with thirty-one percent battery remaining.
- Incident occurred at 2:47 a.m. on July 11, 2019; phone discovered at dawn.
- Impersonator profile created in late February 2019 as "Aaron Whitfield - Lieutenant Commander, United States Coast Guard."
- Initial requested transfer in May 2019 was $800, which was repaid with $940 in fees recorded in cloud documents.
- By early July 2019 Earl had sent $22,000 across three accounts before total losses reached $36,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098139Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Voice That Stole $36,000: How a Fake Coast Guard Won Him Over Loneliness made him vulnerable: a man with a steady routine lost $36,000 to a constructed persona who repaid an initial loan to prove trust. How did months of morning messages, a...
Loneliness made him vulnerable: a man with a steady routine lost $36,000 to a constructed persona who repaid an initial loan to prove trust. How did months of morning messages, a single six-minute video call, and a staged repayment convince him to hand over everything?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the phone found at Pelican Cut to the bank parking lot where Earl sat frozen, and we outline how the impersonator built credibility through voice, small asks, and bureaucratic excuses. What sequence of touches and transfers turned a careful marine technician into a victim?

Person: Earl Brooks
Date: July 11, 2019
Location: Pelican Cut; Regions Bank on Delamar Street; Grover's Landing, Mississippi
Amount: $36,000
Investigator: Beverly Edwards

- Phone found face-up in sedge grass at Pelican Cut with thirty-one percent battery remaining.
- Incident occurred at 2:47 a.m. on July 11, 2019; phone discovered at dawn.
- Impersonator profile created in late February 2019 as "Aaron Whitfield - Lieutenant Commander, United States Coast Guard."
- Initial requested transfer in May 2019 was $800, which was repaid with $940 in fees recorded in cloud documents.
- By early July 2019 Earl had sent $22,000 across three accounts before total losses reached $36,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1070falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/glasses-case-on-a-dock-how-he-mapped-a-widow-s-trust-and-48k--73098137
A small burgundy glasses case on an empty dock led to a name that did not belong there and ultimately to $48,000 wired into four cryptocurrency wallets - how did a pair of progressive lenses become the first clue? Who built the architecture of trust that turned a woman’s steady habits into a target?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from a surveyor’s find to the online messages that converted personal details into a financial scheme, and we ask how everyday routines were used to engineer confidence and loss.

Person: Dawn Stein
Date: June 2022 (dock discovery); March 2022 (prescription fill)
Location: 14 Crestwater Lane (dock); 14 Quarry Street (residence)
Case: $48,000 transferred into four cryptocurrency wallets
Perpetrator: Dennis Pratt (alias used: Wayne Vickers)

- A surveyor, Monica Young, found a burgundy quilted glasses case on a dock at 7:40 AM on a Tuesday morning in June 2022.
- The prescription label named Dawn Stein with a Barton Falls address and a fill date of March 2022.
- Dawn Stein joined the Rebuilding Circle forum in October 2021 and began messaging "Wayne Vickers" in November 2021.
- The man in the profile was actually Paul Devereaux’s photo; the real sender was Dennis Pratt, age 49, living in short-term rentals across three states.
- $48,000 was converted into wire transfers and routed into four cryptocurrency wallets that never returned to Dawn.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098137Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaGlasses Case on a Dock: How He Mapped a Widow's Trust and $48K A small burgundy glasses case on an empty dock led to a name that did not belong there and ultimately to $48,000 wired into four cryptocurrency wallets - how did a pair of progressive...
A small burgundy glasses case on an empty dock led to a name that did not belong there and ultimately to $48,000 wired into four cryptocurrency wallets - how did a pair of progressive lenses become the first clue? Who built the architecture of trust that turned a woman’s steady habits into a target?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from a surveyor’s find to the online messages that converted personal details into a financial scheme, and we ask how everyday routines were used to engineer confidence and loss.

Person: Dawn Stein
Date: June 2022 (dock discovery); March 2022 (prescription fill)
Location: 14 Crestwater Lane (dock); 14 Quarry Street (residence)
Case: $48,000 transferred into four cryptocurrency wallets
Perpetrator: Dennis Pratt (alias used: Wayne Vickers)

- A surveyor, Monica Young, found a burgundy quilted glasses case on a dock at 7:40 AM on a Tuesday morning in June 2022.
- The prescription label named Dawn Stein with a Barton Falls address and a fill date of March 2022.
- Dawn Stein joined the Rebuilding Circle forum in October 2021 and began messaging "Wayne Vickers" in November 2021.
- The man in the profile was actually Paul Devereaux’s photo; the real sender was Dennis Pratt, age 49, living in short-term rentals across three states.
- $48,000 was converted into wire transfers and routed into four cryptocurrency wallets that never returned to Dawn.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1195falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-chekhov-letter-in-the-septic-tank-how-edward-marshall-lied-to-scott--73098135
Fear that the person connecting with you online is not who they claim - and that the proof might be as mundane as a water-damaged paperback in a septic tank - drives this episode from the first sentence. A 1963 Signet edition of Chekhov with a page marked "The Lady with the Dog" contained a handwritten letter beginning "my darling Scott" and a wire-transfer confirmation number; who really wrote it, and why did it end up in a rented bungalow's septic access riser?

In this episode, we follow the timeline laid out in the transcript to show how an online persona built on literary detail turned into a cross-state fraud case, and we trace the physical clue that linked the virtual identity to an actual property. What did the messages and the Chekhov quote reveal about the person behind "EdwardMarshall_Editions," and how did a septic pump-out become pivotal evidence?

Person: Scott Ward
Person: David Pruitt
Person: Arthur Clemmons
Date: May 12, 2019
Location: Calloway County, Ohio

- A 1963 Signet paperback of Chekhov was recovered during a septic pump-out on Tuesday, May 12, 2019.
- The book had a single page marked and a handwritten letter that began "my darling Scott" and included a wire-transfer confirmation number.
- Scott Ward, age forty-four in spring 2017, met the online user EdwardMarshall_Editions via a rare-book marketplace forum in late April 2017.
- The persona "Edward Marshall" used photos of Arthur Clemmons, a retired English professor from Vermont, without his knowledge.
- The man sending the messages was David Pruitt, forty-one from Akron, Ohio, with at least three prior fraud convictions.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098135Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Chekhov Letter in the Septic Tank: How "Edward Marshall" Lied to Scott Fear that the person connecting with you online is not who they claim - and that the proof might be as mundane as a water-damaged paperback in a septic tank - drives this...
Fear that the person connecting with you online is not who they claim - and that the proof might be as mundane as a water-damaged paperback in a septic tank - drives this episode from the first sentence. A 1963 Signet edition of Chekhov with a page marked "The Lady with the Dog" contained a handwritten letter beginning "my darling Scott" and a wire-transfer confirmation number; who really wrote it, and why did it end up in a rented bungalow's septic access riser?

In this episode, we follow the timeline laid out in the transcript to show how an online persona built on literary detail turned into a cross-state fraud case, and we trace the physical clue that linked the virtual identity to an actual property. What did the messages and the Chekhov quote reveal about the person behind "EdwardMarshall_Editions," and how did a septic pump-out become pivotal evidence?

Person: Scott Ward
Person: David Pruitt
Person: Arthur Clemmons
Date: May 12, 2019
Location: Calloway County, Ohio

- A 1963 Signet paperback of Chekhov was recovered during a septic pump-out on Tuesday, May 12, 2019.
- The book had a single page marked and a handwritten letter that began "my darling Scott" and included a wire-transfer confirmation number.
- Scott Ward, age forty-four in spring 2017, met the online user EdwardMarshall_Editions via a rare-book marketplace forum in late April 2017.
- The persona "Edward Marshall" used photos of Arthur Clemmons, a retired English professor from Vermont, without his knowledge.
- The man sending the messages was David Pruitt, forty-one from Akron, Ohio, with at least three prior fraud convictions.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1243falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-photo-that-cost-her-31-400-he-called-her-val-k--73098132
Fear that your kindness will cost you everything: she wired a total of $31,400 across eleven transfers believing a civil engineer and three children in Zambia were real-until a church newsletter and a single initial, K., started to unravel the story. Who was using real photos and real names to build a fiction that nearly emptied her savings?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from first contact on a dating app in September 2017 through the discovery in April 2019, outlining how messages, photographs, and eleven wire transfers added up to a devastating scam. How did a printed photo in a coat pocket and a church newsletter expose the deception?

Person: Valerie Christensen
Date (first contact): September 2017
Date (discovery by Leon Thorpe): April 14, 2019
Total amount wired: $31,400
Number of transfers: 11

- Valerie sent eleven wire transfers between March 2018 and November 2018.
- Individual transfers ranged from $800 to $6,200.
- The back of the found card had four words in blue ballpoint: "Val - they are real. You are real." and a single initial, "K."
- The photograph on the card matched a photo taken by volunteer Rachel Moy at a facility in Ndola in October 2015.
- A $600 transfer listed as a pharmacy payment for "Peter" traced to a business in Tucson, Arizona.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098132Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Photo That Cost Her $31,400 - He Called Her Val, K Fear that your kindness will cost you everything: she wired a total of $31,400 across eleven transfers believing a civil engineer and three children in Zambia were real-until a church...
Fear that your kindness will cost you everything: she wired a total of $31,400 across eleven transfers believing a civil engineer and three children in Zambia were real-until a church newsletter and a single initial, K., started to unravel the story. Who was using real photos and real names to build a fiction that nearly emptied her savings?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from first contact on a dating app in September 2017 through the discovery in April 2019, outlining how messages, photographs, and eleven wire transfers added up to a devastating scam. How did a printed photo in a coat pocket and a church newsletter expose the deception?

Person: Valerie Christensen
Date (first contact): September 2017
Date (discovery by Leon Thorpe): April 14, 2019
Total amount wired: $31,400
Number of transfers: 11

- Valerie sent eleven wire transfers between March 2018 and November 2018.
- Individual transfers ranged from $800 to $6,200.
- The back of the found card had four words in blue ballpoint: "Val - they are real. You are real." and a single initial, "K."
- The photograph on the card matched a photo taken by volunteer Rachel Moy at a facility in Ndola in October 2015.
- A $600 transfer listed as a pharmacy payment for "Peter" traced to a business in Tucson, Arizona.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1209falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-stranger-left-his-shoe-the-sandra-sanders-case--73098128
A size 10½ brown leather oxford and a red rose were left on Sandra Sanders's porch on March 11, 2019 - details that should have been reclaimed, but were not. The shoe was left-footed, lightly worn, and belonged to a carefully constructed fraud that used scripts, rotating performers and a shared phone to make one woman fall for a man who did not exist; how did they tune the deception so precisely to Sandra's life?

In this episode, we trace the timeline from the porch step back through Sandra's routines, the introduction by a coworker, and the operation run by a man who wrote scripts and coordinated multiple impostors; what keeps appearing is the same question: how did the frauders replicate a credible life well enough to bypass Sandra's caution?

Person: Sandra Sanders
Date: March 11, 2019
Location: 414 Birchwell Drive, Kellerton Heights
Person: Victor Malone
Person: Stanley Schultz

- Sandra Sanders was 53 years old and a senior billing coordinator at Weston Medical Group.
- The shoe found on the porch was a size 10½, left-footed, and lightly worn.
- Sandra had lived alone at 414 Birchwell Drive for three years before January 2019.
- Osgood, Sandra's Belgian Hare, was 12 years old and required medication twice daily at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM administered by syringe.
- Victor Malone, 44, wrote the script, controlled the shared phone, and recruited at least three men in their late 30s to early 50s to impersonate "Stanley Schultz."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098128Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaA Stranger Left His Shoe: The Sandra Sanders Case A size 10½ brown leather oxford and a red rose were left on Sandra Sanders's porch on March 11, 2019 - details that should have been reclaimed, but were not. The shoe was left-footed, lightly worn,...
A size 10½ brown leather oxford and a red rose were left on Sandra Sanders's porch on March 11, 2019 - details that should have been reclaimed, but were not. The shoe was left-footed, lightly worn, and belonged to a carefully constructed fraud that used scripts, rotating performers and a shared phone to make one woman fall for a man who did not exist; how did they tune the deception so precisely to Sandra's life?

In this episode, we trace the timeline from the porch step back through Sandra's routines, the introduction by a coworker, and the operation run by a man who wrote scripts and coordinated multiple impostors; what keeps appearing is the same question: how did the frauders replicate a credible life well enough to bypass Sandra's caution?

Person: Sandra Sanders
Date: March 11, 2019
Location: 414 Birchwell Drive, Kellerton Heights
Person: Victor Malone
Person: Stanley Schultz

- Sandra Sanders was 53 years old and a senior billing coordinator at Weston Medical Group.
- The shoe found on the porch was a size 10½, left-footed, and lightly worn.
- Sandra had lived alone at 414 Birchwell Drive for three years before January 2019.
- Osgood, Sandra's Belgian Hare, was 12 years old and required medication twice daily at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM administered by syringe.
- Victor Malone, 44, wrote the script, controlled the shared phone, and recruited at least three men in their late 30s to early 50s to impersonate "Stanley Schultz."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1045falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-promised-healing-he-stole-63-400-and-11-years-of-her-life--73098125
A young man trusted a wellness app match who promised real improvement and ended up losing $63,400 and years of stability; the first red flag was a $2,000 “logistics” request that was refunded nine days later - so why did every subsequent transfer grow and never return? What did a string of warm conversations, a fake story about a daughter in São Paulo, and a small notebook of numbers lead him to do in the end?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the 4:47 a.m. roadside discovery to the weeks of wire tracing that uncovered how a pattern of small favors, returned funds, and escalating requests built trust until it broke. We cover William Hoffman’s diagnosis, his connection to NutriPath, the matching with Carl Graham, and the financial trail that answers why William ended up alone in a frozen ditch.

Person: William Hoffman
Age: 22
App: NutriPath
Contact saved as: Carl
Amount stolen: $63,400

- Found in a ditch on Route 114 at 4:47 a.m., phone screen lit with 41 outgoing calls to a contact saved as "Carl."
- First money request in November was $2,000 framed as lab equipment for a project in São Paulo and was refunded nine days later.
- William was diagnosed at 19 with a chronic gastrointestinal condition and withdrew from college two years after enrolling.
- William was matched with user Carl Graham via NutriPath and reported more progress in two weeks than in the prior three years.
- The pattern of transfers cycled roughly every three weeks, with initial refunds followed by progressively larger amounts that were never returned.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098125Sun, 16 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Promised Healing - He Stole $63,400 and 11 Years of His Life A young man trusted a wellness app match who promised real improvement and ended up losing $63,400 and years of stability; the first red flag was a $2,000 “logistics” request that was...
A young man trusted a wellness app match who promised real improvement and ended up losing $63,400 and years of stability; the first red flag was a $2,000 “logistics” request that was refunded nine days later - so why did every subsequent transfer grow and never return? What did a string of warm conversations, a fake story about a daughter in São Paulo, and a small notebook of numbers lead him to do in the end?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the 4:47 a.m. roadside discovery to the weeks of wire tracing that uncovered how a pattern of small favors, returned funds, and escalating requests built trust until it broke. We cover William Hoffman’s diagnosis, his connection to NutriPath, the matching with Carl Graham, and the financial trail that answers why William ended up alone in a frozen ditch.

Person: William Hoffman
Age: 22
App: NutriPath
Contact saved as: Carl
Amount stolen: $63,400

- Found in a ditch on Route 114 at 4:47 a.m., phone screen lit with 41 outgoing calls to a contact saved as "Carl."
- First money request in November was $2,000 framed as lab equipment for a project in São Paulo and was refunded nine days later.
- William was diagnosed at 19 with a chronic gastrointestinal condition and withdrew from college two years after enrolling.
- William was matched with user Carl Graham via NutriPath and reported more progress in two weeks than in the prior three years.
- The pattern of transfers cycled roughly every three weeks, with initial refunds followed by progressively larger amounts that were never returned.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>978falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-stole-her-memory-how-a-stranger-emptied-dena-s-cds--73098123
Fear that the person who knows your grief can also know your bank balance-Dena left five CDs totaling just under $212,000 staggered across three years, and a stranger used her memory to strip them away. How did a contractor’s two-hour kitchen visit, a forged UN document, and a grief-forum friendship turn into coordinated withdrawals that emptied those accounts?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led from a service visit on Felder Road to messages from a man calling himself Wade Hicks, and the transfers that followed; what began as online consolation became a financial spiral-how did Curtis lose the protections Dena built for him?

Person: Curtis Schultz
Person: Dena Schultz
Date: January 9, 2022
Location: Felder Road house, eleven miles east of Orrin
Amount: just under $212,000

- The front door was found open at 7:41 AM on January 9, 2022, by utility lineman Gail Mitchell.
- Dena left five certificates of deposit at Copeland Savings totaling just under $212,000, staggered to mature across three years.
- Contractor Terrance Odom spent approximately two hours in the Felder Road kitchen installing herd-management software and asked about Dena and the CD ladder plan.
- Curtis first received a message from someone calling himself Wade Hicks in late March 2021 and moved to private email within weeks.
- On August 19, 2021, the first monetary request arrived from Hicks; Curtis wired $7,000, and on September 4, 2021, he liquidated the first CD for roughly $40,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098123Sat, 15 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Stole Her Memory - How a Stranger Emptied Dena's CDs Fear that the person who knows your grief can also know your bank balance-Dena left five CDs totaling just under $212,000 staggered across three years, and a stranger used her memory to strip...
Fear that the person who knows your grief can also know your bank balance-Dena left five CDs totaling just under $212,000 staggered across three years, and a stranger used her memory to strip them away. How did a contractor’s two-hour kitchen visit, a forged UN document, and a grief-forum friendship turn into coordinated withdrawals that emptied those accounts?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led from a service visit on Felder Road to messages from a man calling himself Wade Hicks, and the transfers that followed; what began as online consolation became a financial spiral-how did Curtis lose the protections Dena built for him?

Person: Curtis Schultz
Person: Dena Schultz
Date: January 9, 2022
Location: Felder Road house, eleven miles east of Orrin
Amount: just under $212,000

- The front door was found open at 7:41 AM on January 9, 2022, by utility lineman Gail Mitchell.
- Dena left five certificates of deposit at Copeland Savings totaling just under $212,000, staggered to mature across three years.
- Contractor Terrance Odom spent approximately two hours in the Felder Road kitchen installing herd-management software and asked about Dena and the CD ladder plan.
- Curtis first received a message from someone calling himself Wade Hicks in late March 2021 and moved to private email within weeks.
- On August 19, 2021, the first monetary request arrived from Hicks; Curtis wired $7,000, and on September 4, 2021, he liquidated the first CD for roughly $40,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1116falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-chessboard-the-14-000-receipt-and-the-man-who-wasn-t-real--73098122
Cold stillness, a frozen chessboard and a $14,000 bank receipt tucked beneath it - a woman’s name on that receipt, left in a park at 5:40 a.m., became the first clue in a case of romance fraud that cost six thousand dollars and unravelled a life. Who was the man Brenda Bell trusted, and how did an online chess community lead to a wire transfer and a vanished identity?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a routine Thursday visit to a mother to the messages that moved from Gambit Ladder to long phone calls, and the moment Brenda wired money she believed would be repaid. What gaps in trust and verification allowed a fabricated profile to become real enough to empty an account?

Person: Brenda Bell
Age: 62
Platform: Gambit Ladder
Date found: December 11, 2019 at 5:40 a.m.
Amount on receipt: $14,000

- A chessboard was found open on a bench in Orrins Creek Park with both kings still standing.
- A bank receipt for $14,000 with the name Brenda Bell was tucked beneath the chessboard.
- Brenda Bell worked 19 years as a medical records coordinator and lived on Fenwick Drive.
- On March 2019 Brenda joined Gambit Ladder and received messages from a profile named Marcus Hale.
- On September 18 Brenda wired $6,000 to an account given by Marcus Hale.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098122Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Chessboard, the $14,000 Receipt, and the Man Who Wasn't Real Cold stillness, a frozen chessboard and a $14,000 bank receipt tucked beneath it - a woman’s name on that receipt, left in a park at 5:40 a.m., became the first clue in a case of...
Cold stillness, a frozen chessboard and a $14,000 bank receipt tucked beneath it - a woman’s name on that receipt, left in a park at 5:40 a.m., became the first clue in a case of romance fraud that cost six thousand dollars and unravelled a life. Who was the man Brenda Bell trusted, and how did an online chess community lead to a wire transfer and a vanished identity?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a routine Thursday visit to a mother to the messages that moved from Gambit Ladder to long phone calls, and the moment Brenda wired money she believed would be repaid. What gaps in trust and verification allowed a fabricated profile to become real enough to empty an account?

Person: Brenda Bell
Age: 62
Platform: Gambit Ladder
Date found: December 11, 2019 at 5:40 a.m.
Amount on receipt: $14,000

- A chessboard was found open on a bench in Orrins Creek Park with both kings still standing.
- A bank receipt for $14,000 with the name Brenda Bell was tucked beneath the chessboard.
- Brenda Bell worked 19 years as a medical records coordinator and lived on Fenwick Drive.
- On March 2019 Brenda joined Gambit Ladder and received messages from a profile named Marcus Hale.
- On September 18 Brenda wired $6,000 to an account given by Marcus Hale.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1066falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-watched-my-walk-how-a-cancer-survivor-was-groomed-and-betrayed--73098121
Fear and pity click with the same urgency here: a 26-year-old cancer survivor was watched from forty feet away, photographed by a meter reader, and messaged months later by a man who had scouted him in person - so how does a careful, remission-era life unravel into near silence? The Renwick case shows grooming that began offline and finished online; what exactly was dismantled to leave Douglas Allen “destroyed” in his apartment?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events and the connections between the people, places, and digital identities involved to show how the contact began and escalated, and we ask what choices and gaps allowed a targeted deception to succeed.

Person: Douglas Allen
Age: 26
Diagnosis: Hodgkin lymphoma, in remission approximately 14 months
Suspect: Melvin Sullivan, age 51, prior wire fraud conviction (2017), served 14 months
Rent: $840 per month at Sallow Creek Drive

- The meter at 414 Sallow Creek Drive showed exactly the same kilowatt-hour reading two months in a row.
- Douglas had been in remission for approximately 14 months at the time of the events.
- Douglas saved $11,000 from overtime pay plus a life insurance payout he never had to use.
- Melvin Sullivan created a Facebook persona claiming to be a 43-year-old colon cancer survivor and used photos of a Spokane gym owner.
- The first message from the persona arrived in February on the platform Douglas checked most evenings after his night shift.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098121Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Watched My Walk: How a Cancer Survivor Was Groomed and Betrayed Fear and pity click with the same urgency here: a 26-year-old cancer survivor was watched from forty feet away, photographed by a meter reader, and messaged months later by a man...
Fear and pity click with the same urgency here: a 26-year-old cancer survivor was watched from forty feet away, photographed by a meter reader, and messaged months later by a man who had scouted him in person - so how does a careful, remission-era life unravel into near silence? The Renwick case shows grooming that began offline and finished online; what exactly was dismantled to leave Douglas Allen “destroyed” in his apartment?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events and the connections between the people, places, and digital identities involved to show how the contact began and escalated, and we ask what choices and gaps allowed a targeted deception to succeed.

Person: Douglas Allen
Age: 26
Diagnosis: Hodgkin lymphoma, in remission approximately 14 months
Suspect: Melvin Sullivan, age 51, prior wire fraud conviction (2017), served 14 months
Rent: $840 per month at Sallow Creek Drive

- The meter at 414 Sallow Creek Drive showed exactly the same kilowatt-hour reading two months in a row.
- Douglas had been in remission for approximately 14 months at the time of the events.
- Douglas saved $11,000 from overtime pay plus a life insurance payout he never had to use.
- Melvin Sullivan created a Facebook persona claiming to be a 43-year-old colon cancer survivor and used photos of a Spokane gym owner.
- The first message from the persona arrived in February on the platform Douglas checked most evenings after his night shift.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1065falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-letters-from-a-man-who-never-left-ohio-41-lies-revealed--73098119
You will feel the slow, tightening betrayal of someone who built intimacy from paper - forty-one handwritten letters, a cast-iron skillet with seasoning still on it, and a debit card drained to zero; how did a woman who audited fraud for a living miss a scheme that used U.S. paper and Midwest postmarks to impersonate a refugee in Accra? What was really inside those letters that made Erin Zeller send $11,000?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a cardboard box labeled KITCHEN ITEMS to the discovery that the man Erin thought was in Ghana was actually in Columbus, Ohio. The episode lays out the timeline, the forensic details, and the moment the correspondence asked for money - and asks how a meticulous auditor came to trust a fiction.

Person: Erin Zeller
Location: Alderton
Age: 48
Letters: 41 handwritten letters over 28 months
Transfer: $11,000 wire transfer

- The box contained a cast-iron skillet, forty-one handwritten letters, a drained debit card, and a wire transfer confirmation for $11,000.
- Erin Zeller volunteered every Wednesday for six years at the Alderton Refugee Resettlement Collaborative.
- Fourteen of the letters bore Ghanaian postmarks; twenty-seven carried U.S. Midwest postmarks (Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis).
- The lined notepad used for every letter was a brand sold exclusively through office supply chains in the United States and Canada.
- The Accra partner program had been officially suspended in March 2017, and no official correspondence had moved through it during Erin’s period of writing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098119Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Letters from a Man Who Never Left Ohio: 41 Lies Revealed You will feel the slow, tightening betrayal of someone who built intimacy from paper - forty-one handwritten letters, a cast-iron skillet with seasoning still on it, and a debit card...
You will feel the slow, tightening betrayal of someone who built intimacy from paper - forty-one handwritten letters, a cast-iron skillet with seasoning still on it, and a debit card drained to zero; how did a woman who audited fraud for a living miss a scheme that used U.S. paper and Midwest postmarks to impersonate a refugee in Accra? What was really inside those letters that made Erin Zeller send $11,000?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from a cardboard box labeled KITCHEN ITEMS to the discovery that the man Erin thought was in Ghana was actually in Columbus, Ohio. The episode lays out the timeline, the forensic details, and the moment the correspondence asked for money - and asks how a meticulous auditor came to trust a fiction.

Person: Erin Zeller
Location: Alderton
Age: 48
Letters: 41 handwritten letters over 28 months
Transfer: $11,000 wire transfer

- The box contained a cast-iron skillet, forty-one handwritten letters, a drained debit card, and a wire transfer confirmation for $11,000.
- Erin Zeller volunteered every Wednesday for six years at the Alderton Refugee Resettlement Collaborative.
- Fourteen of the letters bore Ghanaian postmarks; twenty-seven carried U.S. Midwest postmarks (Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis).
- The lined notepad used for every letter was a brand sold exclusively through office supply chains in the United States and Canada.
- The Accra partner program had been officially suspended in March 2017, and no official correspondence had moved through it during Erin’s period of writing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1182falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-photo-that-lied-how-a-stranger-stole-james-s-heart-and-identity--73098117
The photograph in the mud was dry on the bottom half - a laminated 4x6 in a frame, found two hundred meters from James’s mailbox after two nights of rain. A stranger’s face had been grafted beside James in a fake restaurant booth, then mailed and placed in his town; how did a manufactured image become the anchor for eight months of a relationship?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the first message on a dating platform to the discovery of the framed photo and the investigative traces that followed. What did the assemblage of a digital composite, a mailed object, and a coordinated inbox of messages accomplish that simple texts could not?

Person: James Stewart
Date: September 11, 2019
Location: Tallow Creek Greenway, Farlow, Ohio
Platform: HeartBridge
Perpetrator image used: David Reardon, age 47, Flagstaff

- The printed photograph was a laminated 4x6 in an acrylic frame found against sycamore roots two hundred meters from James’s mailbox after two nights of rain.
- James, age 31, had lived alone on Cotter Lane for three years and joined HeartBridge in January 2019.
- The profile "Kenneth Griffin" listed age 44, occupation architect, and claimed to be prelingually deaf; James communicated with that profile for eight months.
- The man pictured as "Kenneth Griffin" was actually David Reardon, age 47, whose image was pulled from a professional portfolio and dormant social media.
- Investigators found eight workstations and laminated materials in a suite on Akron’s east side when they entered on September 23, 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098117Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Photo That Lied: How a Stranger Stole James's Heart and Identity The photograph in the mud was dry on the bottom half - a laminated 4x6 in a frame, found two hundred meters from James’s mailbox after two nights of rain. A stranger’s face had...
The photograph in the mud was dry on the bottom half - a laminated 4x6 in a frame, found two hundred meters from James’s mailbox after two nights of rain. A stranger’s face had been grafted beside James in a fake restaurant booth, then mailed and placed in his town; how did a manufactured image become the anchor for eight months of a relationship?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the first message on a dating platform to the discovery of the framed photo and the investigative traces that followed. What did the assemblage of a digital composite, a mailed object, and a coordinated inbox of messages accomplish that simple texts could not?

Person: James Stewart
Date: September 11, 2019
Location: Tallow Creek Greenway, Farlow, Ohio
Platform: HeartBridge
Perpetrator image used: David Reardon, age 47, Flagstaff

- The printed photograph was a laminated 4x6 in an acrylic frame found against sycamore roots two hundred meters from James’s mailbox after two nights of rain.
- James, age 31, had lived alone on Cotter Lane for three years and joined HeartBridge in January 2019.
- The profile "Kenneth Griffin" listed age 44, occupation architect, and claimed to be prelingually deaf; James communicated with that profile for eight months.
- The man pictured as "Kenneth Griffin" was actually David Reardon, age 47, whose image was pulled from a professional portfolio and dormant social media.
- Investigators found eight workstations and laminated materials in a suite on Akron’s east side when they entered on September 23, 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1077falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-built-her-from-three-strangers-he-stole-61-000-and-lloyd-s-heart--73098115
He was an orderly man with a paid-off ranch house and a laminated road atlas, and within three months he wired $61,000 to people he'd never met - all for a woman who never existed. The deception used three stolen online identities, a waterlogged notebook with three handwritings, and seven prior refinements; what broke Lloyd Bennett was both intimacy and engineering. Who built Elena Voss, and how did the scheme turn a careful property assessor into a willing donor?

In this episode, we follow the factual thread found in a soggy notebook and in Lloyd Bennett’s online messages to Harborside Connect to outline how the con unfolded, how the fictitious Elena was assembled from real profiles, and how the transfers were justified as emergencies - can a manufactured person really steal a life?

Person: Lloyd Bennett
Age: 52
Platform: Harborside Connect
Perpetrator: Marvin Marshall, 38
Amount stolen: $61,000

- Lloyd created his online profile in February using a cousin’s wedding photo from October.
- Elena Voss messaged Lloyd within days, claiming to be 47 and on contract in Aberdeen, Scotland.
- Three real people’s online content (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook) were combined to form Elena’s identity.
- The first wire transfer was $4,000 sent in May to an account in Singapore for a claimed medical emergency.
- Lloyd missed his regular Thursday poker night for the first time after making the initial transfer.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098115Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Built Her from Three Strangers - He Stole $61,000 and Lloyd's Heart He was an orderly man with a paid-off ranch house and a laminated road atlas, and within three months he wired $61,000 to people he'd never met - all for a woman who never...
He was an orderly man with a paid-off ranch house and a laminated road atlas, and within three months he wired $61,000 to people he'd never met - all for a woman who never existed. The deception used three stolen online identities, a waterlogged notebook with three handwritings, and seven prior refinements; what broke Lloyd Bennett was both intimacy and engineering. Who built Elena Voss, and how did the scheme turn a careful property assessor into a willing donor?

In this episode, we follow the factual thread found in a soggy notebook and in Lloyd Bennett’s online messages to Harborside Connect to outline how the con unfolded, how the fictitious Elena was assembled from real profiles, and how the transfers were justified as emergencies - can a manufactured person really steal a life?

Person: Lloyd Bennett
Age: 52
Platform: Harborside Connect
Perpetrator: Marvin Marshall, 38
Amount stolen: $61,000

- Lloyd created his online profile in February using a cousin’s wedding photo from October.
- Elena Voss messaged Lloyd within days, claiming to be 47 and on contract in Aberdeen, Scotland.
- Three real people’s online content (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook) were combined to form Elena’s identity.
- The first wire transfer was $4,000 sent in May to an account in Singapore for a claimed medical emergency.
- Lloyd missed his regular Thursday poker night for the first time after making the initial transfer.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1137falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-stole-her-grief-widow-scammed-out-of-214-000-by-a-fake-lover--73098112
Grief made her vulnerable and a stranger turned that vulnerability into a methodical scam: forty-one photos laid out beside forty-one wire transfer receipts in a broken garage that recorded $214,000 gone from a grieving widow. How did a Facebook message and a borrowed identity convince a teacher to hand over months of savings?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began with a message in a widows' support group and ended with stolen money, identity theft, and a shaken man whose likeness was used without consent. What tactics did the scammer use to build trust and avoid detection?

Person: Monica Whitley
Age: 44
Occupation: seventh-grade science teacher
Amount stolen: $214,000
Group: Widowed and Whole (about 3,000 members)

- Monica joined the Facebook group Widowed and Whole in October and posted in February about "learning to want things again."
- The fake profile "Beverly Brooks" had 41 photographs matched to 41 wire transfer receipts found in a garage.
- The garage latch had been broken since May and was reported to the township but never repaired.
- Monica's husband Dennis died at age 51 of a cardiac event 11 months before the garage discovery.
- The real Beverly Brooks is a 62-year-old civil engineer from Clarksburg, West Virginia, who was married and never used the Widowed and Whole forum.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098112Sun, 09 Aug 2026 11:00:05 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Stole Her Grief: Widow Scammed Out of $214,000 by a Fake Lover Grief made her vulnerable and a stranger turned that vulnerability into a methodical scam: forty-one photos laid out beside forty-one wire transfer receipts in a broken garage that...
Grief made her vulnerable and a stranger turned that vulnerability into a methodical scam: forty-one photos laid out beside forty-one wire transfer receipts in a broken garage that recorded $214,000 gone from a grieving widow. How did a Facebook message and a borrowed identity convince a teacher to hand over months of savings?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that began with a message in a widows' support group and ended with stolen money, identity theft, and a shaken man whose likeness was used without consent. What tactics did the scammer use to build trust and avoid detection?

Person: Monica Whitley
Age: 44
Occupation: seventh-grade science teacher
Amount stolen: $214,000
Group: Widowed and Whole (about 3,000 members)

- Monica joined the Facebook group Widowed and Whole in October and posted in February about "learning to want things again."
- The fake profile "Beverly Brooks" had 41 photographs matched to 41 wire transfer receipts found in a garage.
- The garage latch had been broken since May and was reported to the township but never repaired.
- Monica's husband Dennis died at age 51 of a cardiac event 11 months before the garage discovery.
- The real Beverly Brooks is a 62-year-old civil engineer from Clarksburg, West Virginia, who was married and never used the Widowed and Whole forum.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1200falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/laminated-lies-the-photo-that-unraveled-a-romance-scam-network--73098111
Fear and fascination collide the moment a laminated five-by-seven photo is found balanced on a septic riser - a deliberate, weatherproof message left where a service worker would certainly kneel. Why would someone laminate a smiling boardwalk snapshot and place it on Vickers Road, and how did that single image set off a six-week search that crossed three states?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events triggered by that photograph and tracing back through wire transfers, shell companies, and online messages to reveal how a private online relationship turned into $171,300 in transfers and multiple linked accounts. How did one networking message become a romance scam that reached into the finances of three women?

Person: Marcia Marshall
Location: Vickers Road, Dunmore, Ohio
Date: second week of June 2019
Amount: $171,300 in wire transfers
Duration: fourteen months of transfers

- The laminated five-by-seven photograph was found on a drain field access riser at roughly 7:30 a.m. on a Tuesday in the second week of June 2019.
- Marcia Marshall sent $41,300 over fourteen months to "Philip Myers," beginning with an $1,100 wire transfer.
- Two of five repayments totaling $9,000 were wired from a domestic bank account in Gadsden, Alabama belonging to Connie Spear.
- The investigation lasted six weeks and crossed three states, uncovering a house purchased in cash through a Delaware shell company.
- Marcia called her mother every Wednesday at 11:15 p.m.; she had lived in the Vickers Road rental for three years and moved out two months before the photo was found.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098111Sat, 08 Aug 2026 11:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaLaminated Lies: The Photo That Unraveled a Romance Scam Network Fear and fascination collide the moment a laminated five-by-seven photo is found balanced on a septic riser - a deliberate, weatherproof message left where a service worker would...
Fear and fascination collide the moment a laminated five-by-seven photo is found balanced on a septic riser - a deliberate, weatherproof message left where a service worker would certainly kneel. Why would someone laminate a smiling boardwalk snapshot and place it on Vickers Road, and how did that single image set off a six-week search that crossed three states?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events triggered by that photograph and tracing back through wire transfers, shell companies, and online messages to reveal how a private online relationship turned into $171,300 in transfers and multiple linked accounts. How did one networking message become a romance scam that reached into the finances of three women?

Person: Marcia Marshall
Location: Vickers Road, Dunmore, Ohio
Date: second week of June 2019
Amount: $171,300 in wire transfers
Duration: fourteen months of transfers

- The laminated five-by-seven photograph was found on a drain field access riser at roughly 7:30 a.m. on a Tuesday in the second week of June 2019.
- Marcia Marshall sent $41,300 over fourteen months to "Philip Myers," beginning with an $1,100 wire transfer.
- Two of five repayments totaling $9,000 were wired from a domestic bank account in Gadsden, Alabama belonging to Connie Spear.
- The investigation lasted six weeks and crossed three states, uncovering a house purchased in cash through a Delaware shell company.
- Marcia called her mother every Wednesday at 11:15 p.m.; she had lived in the Vickers Road rental for three years and moved out two months before the photo was found.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1165falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dry-birthday-card-hidden-will-how-jeff-stole-earl-s-life--73098108
Dryness in a marsh-a blue birthday card, upright and untouched after three inches of rain-became the single oddity that unspooled eleven months of careful deception. How did a man with no license, a prepaid phone and a mysterious past end up inside Earl Richardson’s life and his will?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Ross Brooks found the card to the discovery of a revised will at Earl’s house, laying out the meetings, money transfers and small gestures that built trust until it was weaponized. What did the card and the will reveal about the same quiet plan unfolding across Maddox County?

Person: Ross Brooks
Person: Earl Richardson
Person: Jeffrey Sullivan
Location: Cutter's Bend marsh
Date: May 14, 2022

- A blue envelope was found upright against a wooden survey stake forty meters into a wetland after three inches of rain.
- Inside the birthday card, written in blue ballpoint, was: "You are the only thing I have ever done right." Signed Jeff.
- Earl photographed twelve rows of his garden weekly and filed the prints in a three-ring binder dating back to 2011.
- In June 2021 Jeffrey Sullivan began spending time at Briar Mill Road and installed drip irrigation on rows four through seven.
- Earl wired $11,000 to Sullivan in October 2021; fourteen days later Sullivan repaid $4,000 in cash.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098108Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaDry Birthday Card, Hidden Will: How "Jeff" Stole Earl's Life Dryness in a marsh-a blue birthday card, upright and untouched after three inches of rain-became the single oddity that unspooled eleven months of careful deception. How did a man with no...
Dryness in a marsh-a blue birthday card, upright and untouched after three inches of rain-became the single oddity that unspooled eleven months of careful deception. How did a man with no license, a prepaid phone and a mysterious past end up inside Earl Richardson’s life and his will?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Ross Brooks found the card to the discovery of a revised will at Earl’s house, laying out the meetings, money transfers and small gestures that built trust until it was weaponized. What did the card and the will reveal about the same quiet plan unfolding across Maddox County?

Person: Ross Brooks
Person: Earl Richardson
Person: Jeffrey Sullivan
Location: Cutter's Bend marsh
Date: May 14, 2022

- A blue envelope was found upright against a wooden survey stake forty meters into a wetland after three inches of rain.
- Inside the birthday card, written in blue ballpoint, was: "You are the only thing I have ever done right." Signed Jeff.
- Earl photographed twelve rows of his garden weekly and filed the prints in a three-ring binder dating back to 2011.
- In June 2021 Jeffrey Sullivan began spending time at Briar Mill Road and installed drip irrigation on rows four through seven.
- Earl wired $11,000 to Sullivan in October 2021; fourteen days later Sullivan repaid $4,000 in cash.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>944falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/unlit-candles-how-a-fake-lover-stole-a-birthday-and-9-000--73098107
The chill of a sweet, unfamiliar smell, twenty-three unlit candles standing upright on an untouched cake, and a woman who left to meet a man who did not exist - this episode opens on a quiet detail that signals something far more calculated. How did a pattern of daily calls, a stolen photograph, and precise lies culminate in $9,000 leaving one account and a birthday that never happened?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led Cheryl Stevens to trust a fake profile and send money, how the scam used a real civil engineer’s photo and daily phone intimacy to gain credibility, and how one unanswered video call and a knock in a motel unraveled five months of work - what exactly broke the scheme?

Person: Cheryl Stevens
Date: April 8-9 (Cheryl's 23rd birthday and the morning the apartment door was found open)
Location: Unit seven, Pinecrest Garden Apartments on Brauer Avenue
Case: Romance scam involving a fake profile named Glenn Russo and organizer Troy Bassett
Amount: $9,000 total requested (including $4,000 deposit and $2,200 customs fee)

- Cheryl matched with a Pairing profile named Glenn Russo in early November and exchanged phone numbers by the following Tuesday.
- Glenn’s profile photo was actually of David Kwan, a civil engineer in Sacramento who did not consent to its use.
- Cheryl wired $4,000 in January for a supposed subcontractor deposit and later $2,200 for a claimed customs fee.
- Troy Bassett, a 38-year-old shift supervisor at Meridian Outreach Solutions in Denfield, managed call routing and watched Cheryl’s calendar.
- Twenty-three candles were found unlit on Cheryl’s birthday cake in her kitchen when her neighbor discovered the open apartment door at 6:20 a.m, on April 9.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098107Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaUnlit Candles: How a Fake Lover Stole a Birthday-and $9,000 The chill of a sweet, unfamiliar smell, twenty-three unlit candles standing upright on an untouched cake, and a woman who left to meet a man who did not exist - this episode opens on a...
The chill of a sweet, unfamiliar smell, twenty-three unlit candles standing upright on an untouched cake, and a woman who left to meet a man who did not exist - this episode opens on a quiet detail that signals something far more calculated. How did a pattern of daily calls, a stolen photograph, and precise lies culminate in $9,000 leaving one account and a birthday that never happened?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led Cheryl Stevens to trust a fake profile and send money, how the scam used a real civil engineer’s photo and daily phone intimacy to gain credibility, and how one unanswered video call and a knock in a motel unraveled five months of work - what exactly broke the scheme?

Person: Cheryl Stevens
Date: April 8-9 (Cheryl's 23rd birthday and the morning the apartment door was found open)
Location: Unit seven, Pinecrest Garden Apartments on Brauer Avenue
Case: Romance scam involving a fake profile named Glenn Russo and organizer Troy Bassett
Amount: $9,000 total requested (including $4,000 deposit and $2,200 customs fee)

- Cheryl matched with a Pairing profile named Glenn Russo in early November and exchanged phone numbers by the following Tuesday.
- Glenn’s profile photo was actually of David Kwan, a civil engineer in Sacramento who did not consent to its use.
- Cheryl wired $4,000 in January for a supposed subcontractor deposit and later $2,200 for a claimed customs fee.
- Troy Bassett, a 38-year-old shift supervisor at Meridian Outreach Solutions in Denfield, managed call routing and watched Cheryl’s calendar.
- Twenty-three candles were found unlit on Cheryl’s birthday cake in her kitchen when her neighbor discovered the open apartment door at 6:20 a.m, on April 9.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>979falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-woman-who-sent-flowers-and-stole-their-lives--73098104
You will feel the chill of ordinary kindness turned into a calculated tool: four sealed envelopes with pressed forget-me-nots and a tiny solitaire ring were thrown from a car and found in a ditch before midnight on March 6, 2019 - no recipient ever claimed them. How did "Rachel Sanders" learn routines down to the minute, and what was she building from that knowledge?

In this episode, we trace the small, specific steps that brought Rachel into a Thursday women's group and into the daily life of Lisa Harrison, and we follow the digital trail that preceded any in-person trust. How did schedules and a contact directory become the map for something far darker?

Date: March 6, 2019
Person: Wayne Hoffman
Location: County Road 14, Millhaven
Victim: Lisa Harrison, age 38
Alias: Rachel Sanders, age 41

- Four sealed envelopes were found in a bag wedged against the gravel shoulder of County Road 14.
- Three envelopes contained pressed forget-me-nots; the fourth contained a solitaire ring no larger than a matchstick head.
- The envelopes were each signed "All my love, forever yours, Rachel."
- The annexe computer’s contact directory and scheduling folder were accessed without authorization weeks before Christmas.
- Lisa Harrison had walked the same two-mile route six days a week and appeared on the annexe early-shift schedule since 2016.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098104Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Woman Who Sent Flowers and Stole Their Lives You will feel the chill of ordinary kindness turned into a calculated tool: four sealed envelopes with pressed forget-me-nots and a tiny solitaire ring were thrown from a car and found in a ditch...
You will feel the chill of ordinary kindness turned into a calculated tool: four sealed envelopes with pressed forget-me-nots and a tiny solitaire ring were thrown from a car and found in a ditch before midnight on March 6, 2019 - no recipient ever claimed them. How did "Rachel Sanders" learn routines down to the minute, and what was she building from that knowledge?

In this episode, we trace the small, specific steps that brought Rachel into a Thursday women's group and into the daily life of Lisa Harrison, and we follow the digital trail that preceded any in-person trust. How did schedules and a contact directory become the map for something far darker?

Date: March 6, 2019
Person: Wayne Hoffman
Location: County Road 14, Millhaven
Victim: Lisa Harrison, age 38
Alias: Rachel Sanders, age 41

- Four sealed envelopes were found in a bag wedged against the gravel shoulder of County Road 14.
- Three envelopes contained pressed forget-me-nots; the fourth contained a solitaire ring no larger than a matchstick head.
- The envelopes were each signed "All my love, forever yours, Rachel."
- The annexe computer’s contact directory and scheduling folder were accessed without authorization weeks before Christmas.
- Lisa Harrison had walked the same two-mile route six days a week and appeared on the annexe early-shift schedule since 2016.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1024falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-on-the-feeder-how-a-fake-lover-took-7-100-from-gloria--73098103
Cold, precise, and oddly personal: an envelope wedged under a bird feeder led to a $7,100 loss that began with an online stranger calling himself Richard Stevens. The face in his profile was stolen from a 2019 fundraiser photo, the letter left on a porch promised a “temporary loan,” and one unanswered Tuesday turned into federal evidence - how did intimacy become a delivery method for theft?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of everyday routines that unravelled into a financial crime: a utility meter reader’s photograph, a worried friend’s reverse-image search, a welfare check that found a signed plea for money, and the police who traced the scam. How did a fake lover persuade Gloria to send $7,100 and what clues turned a personal note into proof?

Person: Gloria Thorpe
Location: Vickers Lane, Crestfield, Tennessee
Age: 62
Amount: $7,100
Investigator: Detective Paul Vance

- The envelope was tucked under the rim of a bird feeder and held by a single rubber band.
- Debra Sharp photographed the envelope while on her utility meter route before it became evidence.
- Gloria had volunteered at the Crestfield Area Food Bank twice weekly and had missed three consecutive shifts.
- The online profile used a 2019 fundraiser photo of Douglas Petrie and claimed the name "Richard Stevens."
- The physical letter inside the envelope contained two printed pages signed "Richard Stevens" requesting a wire as a "temporary loan."

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098103Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Envelope on the Feeder: How a Fake Lover Took $7,100 From Gloria Cold, precise, and oddly personal: an envelope wedged under a bird feeder led to a $7,100 loss that began with an online stranger calling himself Richard Stevens. The face in his...
Cold, precise, and oddly personal: an envelope wedged under a bird feeder led to a $7,100 loss that began with an online stranger calling himself Richard Stevens. The face in his profile was stolen from a 2019 fundraiser photo, the letter left on a porch promised a “temporary loan,” and one unanswered Tuesday turned into federal evidence - how did intimacy become a delivery method for theft?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of everyday routines that unravelled into a financial crime: a utility meter reader’s photograph, a worried friend’s reverse-image search, a welfare check that found a signed plea for money, and the police who traced the scam. How did a fake lover persuade Gloria to send $7,100 and what clues turned a personal note into proof?

Person: Gloria Thorpe
Location: Vickers Lane, Crestfield, Tennessee
Age: 62
Amount: $7,100
Investigator: Detective Paul Vance

- The envelope was tucked under the rim of a bird feeder and held by a single rubber band.
- Debra Sharp photographed the envelope while on her utility meter route before it became evidence.
- Gloria had volunteered at the Crestfield Area Food Bank twice weekly and had missed three consecutive shifts.
- The online profile used a 2019 fundraiser photo of Douglas Petrie and claimed the name "Richard Stevens."
- The physical letter inside the envelope contained two printed pages signed "Richard Stevens" requesting a wire as a "temporary loan."

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1129falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-never-existed-drained-her-account-43-000-in-thursdays--73098102
Fear that someone you trusted online is draining your life savings: Leon Whitley sent $43,000 over five months to a convincing but fake engineer who never existed. How did a routine Thursday lunch habit and careful paper ledgers fail to stop a network running out of Lagos and Accra that siphoned thousands with $400 urgencies and satellite-phone emergencies?

In this episode, we tell the episode’s sequence of events from the recovered envelope under Pelham Street Bridge to the pattern of Friday emergencies that led Leon to make repeated transfers, and we ask how the scheme stayed hidden even as friends and a detective noticed small clues.

Person: Leon Whitley
Date: third Tuesday of January 2019 (envelope found at 6:15 AM)
Location: Pelham Street Bridge
Amount: $43,000
Case: role-operated romance scam linked to servers in Lagos and Accra

- Envelope found upright against concrete under bridge at 6:15 AM, temperature 19°F.
- Inside envelope: sealed $500 Visa gift card and a Post-it saying “For when you're ready to come home.”
- Leon was 24 years old and had sent $43,000 over five months to the fake account.
- First urgent request: $400 in late August to cover a medication shipment to keep an offshore rotation going.
- Fraudulent profile used a stolen photo of Brian Kopp, a 34-year-old civil engineer from Galveston.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098102Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Never Existed Drained Her Account: $43,000 in Thursdays Fear that someone you trusted online is draining your life savings: Leon Whitley sent $43,000 over five months to a convincing but fake engineer who never existed. How did a...
Fear that someone you trusted online is draining your life savings: Leon Whitley sent $43,000 over five months to a convincing but fake engineer who never existed. How did a routine Thursday lunch habit and careful paper ledgers fail to stop a network running out of Lagos and Accra that siphoned thousands with $400 urgencies and satellite-phone emergencies?

In this episode, we tell the episode’s sequence of events from the recovered envelope under Pelham Street Bridge to the pattern of Friday emergencies that led Leon to make repeated transfers, and we ask how the scheme stayed hidden even as friends and a detective noticed small clues.

Person: Leon Whitley
Date: third Tuesday of January 2019 (envelope found at 6:15 AM)
Location: Pelham Street Bridge
Amount: $43,000
Case: role-operated romance scam linked to servers in Lagos and Accra

- Envelope found upright against concrete under bridge at 6:15 AM, temperature 19°F.
- Inside envelope: sealed $500 Visa gift card and a Post-it saying “For when you're ready to come home.”
- Leon was 24 years old and had sent $43,000 over five months to the fake account.
- First urgent request: $400 in late August to cover a medication shipment to keep an offshore rotation going.
- Fraudulent profile used a stolen photo of Brian Kopp, a 34-year-old civil engineer from Galveston.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1167falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-voice-that-cost-him-everything-the-snow-globe-scam-revealed--73098100
A man rearranged his life around a voice that was not human, waking at 5:30 a.m. for fourteen months to speak with "Nora Goh" - then a grapefruit-sized snow globe appeared on his gas meter and everything began to unravel. How did a meter reader and a neighbor turn a mysterious gift into the proof that collapsed a carefully constructed con?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events recorded in calls, messages, and neighborhood observations to show what happened to Carl Reynolds, the transfers he made, and the evidence investigators found - leading to a single morning when prosecutors said the online architecture came apart. How did one voice cost him seventeen thousand four hundred dollars?

Person: Carl Reynolds
Date: Third Thursday of December 2022
Location: Orchard Trace Drive, Kellerton Heights, Ohio
Age: 48
Amount lost: $17,400

- Carl woke at 5:30 a.m. every morning for 14 months to speak with a user named Nora Goh.
- The first session with Nora lasted 90 minutes, two days after his profile went live.
- In March 2022 Carl transferred $3,000 to a bank account in Kuala Lumpur for alleged customs penalties.
- The profile photo used for Nora matched a 43-year-old named Susan Ng from Portland, Oregon, taken from a private Facebook account.
- A grapefruit-sized snow globe depicting a miniature Singapore skyline was found on Carl’s gas meter housing during sleet.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098100Sun, 02 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Voice That Cost Him Everything: The Snow-Globe Scam Revealed A man rearranged his life around a voice that was not human, waking at 5:30 a.m. for fourteen months to speak with "Nora Goh" - then a grapefruit-sized snow globe appeared on his gas...
A man rearranged his life around a voice that was not human, waking at 5:30 a.m. for fourteen months to speak with "Nora Goh" - then a grapefruit-sized snow globe appeared on his gas meter and everything began to unravel. How did a meter reader and a neighbor turn a mysterious gift into the proof that collapsed a carefully constructed con?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events recorded in calls, messages, and neighborhood observations to show what happened to Carl Reynolds, the transfers he made, and the evidence investigators found - leading to a single morning when prosecutors said the online architecture came apart. How did one voice cost him seventeen thousand four hundred dollars?

Person: Carl Reynolds
Date: Third Thursday of December 2022
Location: Orchard Trace Drive, Kellerton Heights, Ohio
Age: 48
Amount lost: $17,400

- Carl woke at 5:30 a.m. every morning for 14 months to speak with a user named Nora Goh.
- The first session with Nora lasted 90 minutes, two days after his profile went live.
- In March 2022 Carl transferred $3,000 to a bank account in Kuala Lumpur for alleged customs penalties.
- The profile photo used for Nora matched a 43-year-old named Susan Ng from Portland, Oregon, taken from a private Facebook account.
- A grapefruit-sized snow globe depicting a miniature Singapore skyline was found on Carl’s gas meter housing during sleet.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1174falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-photograph-behind-the-radiator-that-exposed-a-romance-fraud--73098098
Fear that the person you trusted is a complete fabrication - Patricia Duncan found a photograph behind her radiator that proved the man she’d spoken to daily for eight months was an impostor. The image unmasked a profile that had posed as a retired Staff Sergeant and led to an operation spanning at least three states; how did one slipped photo unravel three years of deception?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first cautious messages on a grief forum to the transfer of money and the photograph that broke the case, asking how careful verification can fail people and what finally exposed the fraud.

Person: Patricia Duncan
Person: Marcus Eldon (profile)
Investigator: Thomas Marshall
Location: Cassen Township, Indiana
Forum: Valor Spouses Network

- Patricia Duncan was 31 years old in the summer of 2019.
- The fake Marcus Eldon account had been active on the forum for nearly 14 months before contacting Patricia.
- Patricia transferred two payments by August 2019, the first in June for emergency dental work and the second in August for a military pension gap.
- The photograph slipped behind the radiator during a repair visit three weeks earlier before Patricia found it.
- The dismantled operation had moved across at least three states and left six women affected.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098098Sat, 01 Aug 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Photograph Behind the Radiator That Exposed a Romance Fraud Fear that the person you trusted is a complete fabrication - Patricia Duncan found a photograph behind her radiator that proved the man she’d spoken to daily for eight months was an...
Fear that the person you trusted is a complete fabrication - Patricia Duncan found a photograph behind her radiator that proved the man she’d spoken to daily for eight months was an impostor. The image unmasked a profile that had posed as a retired Staff Sergeant and led to an operation spanning at least three states; how did one slipped photo unravel three years of deception?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first cautious messages on a grief forum to the transfer of money and the photograph that broke the case, asking how careful verification can fail people and what finally exposed the fraud.

Person: Patricia Duncan
Person: Marcus Eldon (profile)
Investigator: Thomas Marshall
Location: Cassen Township, Indiana
Forum: Valor Spouses Network

- Patricia Duncan was 31 years old in the summer of 2019.
- The fake Marcus Eldon account had been active on the forum for nearly 14 months before contacting Patricia.
- Patricia transferred two payments by August 2019, the first in June for emergency dental work and the second in August for a military pension gap.
- The photograph slipped behind the radiator during a repair visit three weeks earlier before Patricia found it.
- The dismantled operation had moved across at least three states and left six women affected.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1156falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-curator-s-folder-how-a-basset-exposed-a-perfect-romance-scam--73098081
Fear and fascination collide: a basset hound unearthed a monogrammed burgundy folder in a nature preserve that contained a museum-grade archival sleeve, a photo, an address and a three-digit number matching a transfer - how could someone use precision and provenance to build a romance scam that fooled a senior curator? What led Ruth Farrell, an expert in authentication, to wire thousands to a man with no hotel record and an invented identity?

In this episode, we tell what happened after Fig found the folder and why the archival sleeve became the key detail investigators could not ignore. We follow Ruth Farrell’s interactions with a man calling himself Vernon Fleming, the financial transfers he requested, and the trail that raised the central question: was this a romance scam built on professional trust?

Person: Ruth Farrell
Age: 53
Job Title: Senior curator of antiquities at the Dunmore Museum of Cultural History
Amount Transferred: $4,000 (first request)
Location Found: Kellerman Nature Preserve, Ridgeback Loop trail

- The folder was monogrammed and sealed inside a clear archival polyethylene sleeve used for museum-grade preservation.
- Ruth inherited $240,000 from her mother’s estate the previous summer.
- Ruth and her sister Meg called each Wednesday at 6:15 a.m, for twelve years.
- Ruth met a man who identified himself as Vernon Fleming at a conference reception in Columbus in the second week of February and they spoke for forty minutes.
- No hotel or conference registration record exists for a guest named Vernon Fleming, though a man in a gray jacket was seen at the venue five weeks earlier.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098081Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Curator's Folder: How a Basset Exposed a Perfect Romance Scam Fear and fascination collide: a basset hound unearthed a monogrammed burgundy folder in a nature preserve that contained a museum-grade archival sleeve, a photo, an address and a...
Fear and fascination collide: a basset hound unearthed a monogrammed burgundy folder in a nature preserve that contained a museum-grade archival sleeve, a photo, an address and a three-digit number matching a transfer - how could someone use precision and provenance to build a romance scam that fooled a senior curator? What led Ruth Farrell, an expert in authentication, to wire thousands to a man with no hotel record and an invented identity?

In this episode, we tell what happened after Fig found the folder and why the archival sleeve became the key detail investigators could not ignore. We follow Ruth Farrell’s interactions with a man calling himself Vernon Fleming, the financial transfers he requested, and the trail that raised the central question: was this a romance scam built on professional trust?

Person: Ruth Farrell
Age: 53
Job Title: Senior curator of antiquities at the Dunmore Museum of Cultural History
Amount Transferred: $4,000 (first request)
Location Found: Kellerman Nature Preserve, Ridgeback Loop trail

- The folder was monogrammed and sealed inside a clear archival polyethylene sleeve used for museum-grade preservation.
- Ruth inherited $240,000 from her mother’s estate the previous summer.
- Ruth and her sister Meg called each Wednesday at 6:15 a.m, for twelve years.
- Ruth met a man who identified himself as Vernon Fleming at a conference reception in Columbus in the second week of February and they spoke for forty minutes.
- No hotel or conference registration record exists for a guest named Vernon Fleming, though a man in a gray jacket was seen at the venue five weeks earlier.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1273falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fake-father-the-fishing-line-and-14-080-gone--73098079
A morning fisherman found a laminated federal carrier authority card tied to a line at 6:15 AM - a card for "Dennis Collier" who had never been near that river, and $14,080 vanished from one woman's accounts after seven transfers over five months; how did a fake identity and a single piece of plastic fool a precise, experienced woman? Who planted the card and why did it lead to a federal fraud prosecution?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first fishing-line discovery through the online relationship that unfolded over seven months, and we trace how loneliness, a dating profile, and specific messages led to repeated money transfers - could a homemade laminated card be the thread that unravels an entire scam?

Person: Carol Berry
Age: 46
Location: Millhaven, Missouri
Job: Billing coordinator at Alderton County Rural Health Clinic
Platform: HarvestHeart

- A laminated federal carrier authority card for Dennis Collier was found tied to a fishing line at 6:15 AM on a September morning.
- Carol registered on the HarvestHeart dating platform in January 2021 and received a first message from "Dennis Collier" in mid-February.
- The initial message asked "dry beans or green beans, and why," leading to a three-hour exchange about gardening.
- The first money transfer from Carol to "Dennis" was $420 in April for a specialist consultation.
- By the end of August 2021, seven transfers had moved a total of $14,080 from Carol Berry's account.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098079Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Fake Father, The Fishing Line, and $14,080 Gone A morning fisherman found a laminated federal carrier authority card tied to a line at 6:15 AM - a card for "Dennis Collier" who had never been near that river, and $14,080 vanished from one...
A morning fisherman found a laminated federal carrier authority card tied to a line at 6:15 AM - a card for "Dennis Collier" who had never been near that river, and $14,080 vanished from one woman's accounts after seven transfers over five months; how did a fake identity and a single piece of plastic fool a precise, experienced woman? Who planted the card and why did it lead to a federal fraud prosecution?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first fishing-line discovery through the online relationship that unfolded over seven months, and we trace how loneliness, a dating profile, and specific messages led to repeated money transfers - could a homemade laminated card be the thread that unravels an entire scam?

Person: Carol Berry
Age: 46
Location: Millhaven, Missouri
Job: Billing coordinator at Alderton County Rural Health Clinic
Platform: HarvestHeart

- A laminated federal carrier authority card for Dennis Collier was found tied to a fishing line at 6:15 AM on a September morning.
- Carol registered on the HarvestHeart dating platform in January 2021 and received a first message from "Dennis Collier" in mid-February.
- The initial message asked "dry beans or green beans, and why," leading to a three-hour exchange about gardening.
- The first money transfer from Carol to "Dennis" was $420 in April for a specialist consultation.
- By the end of August 2021, seven transfers had moved a total of $14,080 from Carol Berry's account.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1078falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-used-a-dead-journalist-s-photo-she-lost-31-000-and-more--73098076
Cold confidence hid in plain sight: a woman paid three months’ rent in cash, used a stolen name and a dead journalist’s face, and Patricia Stein wired $31,000 to a man who never existed. Who built this phony life around Elio Marchetti’s photos, and how did they keep Patricia so sure she was helping someone she loved?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led Patricia to send $31,000 over six months, follow the strange rental and mailing details that linked a suspect to Willowmere Road, and reveal the discovery in a Circleville storage unit that connected the fraud to a long-term impersonation. What did investigators find in the thick manila folder that finally exposed the scheme?

Person: Patricia Stein
Amount: $31,000
Period: six months (starting January 2022)
Impersonated individual: Elio Marchetti (died 2011)
Location: Circleville, Ohio (storage unit)

- Patricia ran Fork and Latitude with roughly 40,000 subscribers and sent her first wire transfer in January 2022.
- The apartment on Willowmere Road had been occupied for 14 months and was paid three months in cash.
- The woman who rented the unit used a Tennessee driver’s license in the name Teresa Walsh and borrowed the landlord’s mailing address in the first week.
- Investigators found a framed, matted Italian restaurant review on the apartment wall and a single thick manila folder in a Circleville storage unit.
- Elio Marchetti died in 2011 at age 53; his photos and bylines were reused to build the fabricated identity "Marco Villani."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098076Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Used a Dead Journalist's Photo - She Lost $31,000 and More Cold confidence hid in plain sight: a woman paid three months’ rent in cash, used a stolen name and a dead journalist’s face, and Patricia Stein wired $31,000 to a man who never existed....
Cold confidence hid in plain sight: a woman paid three months’ rent in cash, used a stolen name and a dead journalist’s face, and Patricia Stein wired $31,000 to a man who never existed. Who built this phony life around Elio Marchetti’s photos, and how did they keep Patricia so sure she was helping someone she loved?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led Patricia to send $31,000 over six months, follow the strange rental and mailing details that linked a suspect to Willowmere Road, and reveal the discovery in a Circleville storage unit that connected the fraud to a long-term impersonation. What did investigators find in the thick manila folder that finally exposed the scheme?

Person: Patricia Stein
Amount: $31,000
Period: six months (starting January 2022)
Impersonated individual: Elio Marchetti (died 2011)
Location: Circleville, Ohio (storage unit)

- Patricia ran Fork and Latitude with roughly 40,000 subscribers and sent her first wire transfer in January 2022.
- The apartment on Willowmere Road had been occupied for 14 months and was paid three months in cash.
- The woman who rented the unit used a Tennessee driver’s license in the name Teresa Walsh and borrowed the landlord’s mailing address in the first week.
- Investigators found a framed, matted Italian restaurant review on the apartment wall and a single thick manila folder in a Circleville storage unit.
- Elio Marchetti died in 2011 at age 53; his photos and bylines were reused to build the fabricated identity "Marco Villani."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1166falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-knew-her-trail-how-a-fake-coast-guard-stole-75-000-and-trust--73098075
A quiet man’s routine became the perfect hunting ground for a romance scam that siphoned $75,000 and left a laminated, headless photograph in a Rubbermaid tote. The con used a stolen Coast Guard image, months of targeted intimacy, and careful bank-routing to keep transfers below fraud-detection thresholds-so how did someone so cautious lose so much trust and money?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from first message to final transfer, following the timeline of contact, payments, and the props the fraudster left behind. What choices and specific tactics allowed the scam to escalate from a $3,000 emergency loan to more than thirty thousand dollars wired by mid-June?

Person: Ryan Hensley
Date: July 2019 (photograph found)
Location: North Carolina (Lake Norman, Pasquotank County, Mooresville)
Case: Stolen identity using photo of Coast Guard officer Craig Abbot
Amount: $31,000 wired by mid-June (total later $75,000 indicated)

- Ryan Hensley was 54 years old in spring 2019 and worked as a project estimator in Mooresville.
- The scammer first contacted Ryan in February 2019 via a dating platform identifying as “Thomas Weller.”
- The initial money request in late April 2019 was $3,000 for a medical procedure; Ryan sent the amount within 24 hours.
- By mid-June 2019 Ryan had sent $31,000 to three different accounts, each opened and closed within days.
- The photograph used as a prop was taken from a 2017 government commendation page showing Coast Guard officer Craig Abbot; the laminated photo was found on a county road in July 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098075Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Knew Her Trail: How a Fake Coast Guard Stole $75,000 and Trust A quiet man’s routine became the perfect hunting ground for a romance scam that siphoned $75,000 and left a laminated, headless photograph in a Rubbermaid tote. The con used a stolen...
A quiet man’s routine became the perfect hunting ground for a romance scam that siphoned $75,000 and left a laminated, headless photograph in a Rubbermaid tote. The con used a stolen Coast Guard image, months of targeted intimacy, and careful bank-routing to keep transfers below fraud-detection thresholds-so how did someone so cautious lose so much trust and money?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from first message to final transfer, following the timeline of contact, payments, and the props the fraudster left behind. What choices and specific tactics allowed the scam to escalate from a $3,000 emergency loan to more than thirty thousand dollars wired by mid-June?

Person: Ryan Hensley
Date: July 2019 (photograph found)
Location: North Carolina (Lake Norman, Pasquotank County, Mooresville)
Case: Stolen identity using photo of Coast Guard officer Craig Abbot
Amount: $31,000 wired by mid-June (total later $75,000 indicated)

- Ryan Hensley was 54 years old in spring 2019 and worked as a project estimator in Mooresville.
- The scammer first contacted Ryan in February 2019 via a dating platform identifying as “Thomas Weller.”
- The initial money request in late April 2019 was $3,000 for a medical procedure; Ryan sent the amount within 24 hours.
- By mid-June 2019 Ryan had sent $31,000 to three different accounts, each opened and closed within days.
- The photograph used as a prop was taken from a 2017 government commendation page showing Coast Guard officer Craig Abbot; the laminated photo was found on a county road in July 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1128falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-lied-to-save-her-the-photo-left-at-the-pond--73098073
Fear that someone you trusted was a lie: a laminated photograph bearing the words "I believed you" is found at the edge of a retention pond in Dunfield, Indiana, and no one calls it a crime scene. How did a man rebuilding his life end up at the center of a deception built from stolen identities-and who left that photograph at the water's edge?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a morning discovery to the private messages that became a daily lifeline, tracing the online persona that connected to a man named Gordon Sawyer and the small clues a friend pulled together. What did the message trail reveal about the person who claimed to understand him?

Person: Gordon Sawyer
Date: June 11, 2022
Location: Wexler Commerce Park retention pond, Dunfield, Indiana
Case: Crossroads Forum deception
Person: William Vickers (profile identity used)

- A laminated photograph was found wedged between two rocks at the retention pond and faced the water.
- The lower margin of the photograph bore the handwritten phrase "I believed you."
- Thomas Foster arrived before 7:00 AM on June 11, 2022, and photographed the image with his Canon.
- Gordon Sawyer turned 23 in spring 2022 and worked the front desk at a medical clinic on Route 9 in Dunfield.
- The Crossroads Forum domain had been registered approximately five months before Gordon joined.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098073Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Lied to Save Her - The Photo Left at the Pond Fear that someone you trusted was a lie: a laminated photograph bearing the words "I believed you" is found at the edge of a retention pond in Dunfield, Indiana, and no one calls it a crime scene....
Fear that someone you trusted was a lie: a laminated photograph bearing the words "I believed you" is found at the edge of a retention pond in Dunfield, Indiana, and no one calls it a crime scene. How did a man rebuilding his life end up at the center of a deception built from stolen identities-and who left that photograph at the water's edge?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a morning discovery to the private messages that became a daily lifeline, tracing the online persona that connected to a man named Gordon Sawyer and the small clues a friend pulled together. What did the message trail reveal about the person who claimed to understand him?

Person: Gordon Sawyer
Date: June 11, 2022
Location: Wexler Commerce Park retention pond, Dunfield, Indiana
Case: Crossroads Forum deception
Person: William Vickers (profile identity used)

- A laminated photograph was found wedged between two rocks at the retention pond and faced the water.
- The lower margin of the photograph bore the handwritten phrase "I believed you."
- Thomas Foster arrived before 7:00 AM on June 11, 2022, and photographed the image with his Canon.
- Gordon Sawyer turned 23 in spring 2022 and worked the front desk at a medical clinic on Route 9 in Dunfield.
- The Crossroads Forum domain had been registered approximately five months before Gordon joined.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1199falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-false-bibliophile-how-a-fake-lover-took-112-000-and-a-flower--73098072
When a Chekhov hardcover and a pressed flower turn up in mailbox 47, the quiet precision of a con is the last thing you expect - yet one fake lover walked away with $112,000 and a piece of a life. How did carefully quoted Chekhov lines, nightly calls, and a mailed Lunaria annua convince a meticulous librarian to send so much money to a person who did not exist?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first forum post to the welfare check and the unraveling of the deception, laying out the messages, gifts, and transactions that made the fraud possible to ask: what specific doubts, missed checks, and literary touches concealed the truth until it was too late?

Person: Frances O'Brien
Age: 39
Location: Dunnmore, Ohio
Amount: $112,000
Item mailed: one dried Lunaria annua flower

- The first contact arrived via a forum post in June citing a Willa Cather first edition and a line from Chekhov.
- Emails between Frances and "Denise Hunter" ran 500 to 1,200 words and arrived daily, each containing an embedded Chekhov quotation.
- Frances mailed a pressed Lunaria annua flower in October to a Portland address she believed belonged to Denise.
- The first wire transfer Frances mentioned to her friend Rachel was $12,000 described as a short-term business loan.
- The real woman in the profile photo was a 2019 magazine interview subject whose image had been reused without her knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098072Sun, 26 Jul 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe False Bibliophile: How a Fake Lover Took $112,000 and a Flower When a Chekhov hardcover and a pressed flower turn up in mailbox 47, the quiet precision of a con is the last thing you expect - yet one fake lover walked away with $112,000 and a...
When a Chekhov hardcover and a pressed flower turn up in mailbox 47, the quiet precision of a con is the last thing you expect - yet one fake lover walked away with $112,000 and a piece of a life. How did carefully quoted Chekhov lines, nightly calls, and a mailed Lunaria annua convince a meticulous librarian to send so much money to a person who did not exist?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the first forum post to the welfare check and the unraveling of the deception, laying out the messages, gifts, and transactions that made the fraud possible to ask: what specific doubts, missed checks, and literary touches concealed the truth until it was too late?

Person: Frances O'Brien
Age: 39
Location: Dunnmore, Ohio
Amount: $112,000
Item mailed: one dried Lunaria annua flower

- The first contact arrived via a forum post in June citing a Willa Cather first edition and a line from Chekhov.
- Emails between Frances and "Denise Hunter" ran 500 to 1,200 words and arrived daily, each containing an embedded Chekhov quotation.
- Frances mailed a pressed Lunaria annua flower in October to a Portland address she believed belonged to Denise.
- The first wire transfer Frances mentioned to her friend Rachel was $12,000 described as a short-term business loan.
- The real woman in the profile photo was a 2019 magazine interview subject whose image had been reused without her knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1030falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-photos-on-county-road-14-how-grandma-lost-41-200-to-edward--73098069
Fear that a kindly stranger is actually a calculated con - forty-seven photos of Filipino children and $41,200 wired from a 62-year-old Nebraska retiree were the only visible traces until a road grader blade revealed the rest; how did those images link to the kitchen table where the money left? Who was "Edward," and what did those smiling children really mean?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment the envelope split open on County Road 14 to the unfolding of a long-distance fraud against a woman in Garfield Creek. It covers the online profile, the steady correspondence, the paper trail of donations, and the delayed discovery that tied the photographs to her wires - could the objects in the mail expose the operation?

Person: Megan Bennett
Age: 62
Location: Garfield Creek, Nebraska
Amount wired: $41,200
Photos found: 47 color prints

- A sealed manila envelope split open on County Road 14 releasing 47 color photographs of Filipino children.
- Megan Bennett joined the fellowship site in summer 2022 and first received a message from "Edward Patterson" in October 2022.
- Over 18 months, Megan wired a total of $41,200 in multiple transfers labeled for items like a generator and water filtration.
- The first wire was $2,400 sent to a Cebu-registered construction company account in January 2023.
- Stationery from "Harvest of Grace Outreach" with a dove logo and Edward's handwritten signature arrived in Megan's mailbox in March 2023.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098069Sat, 25 Jul 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Photos on County Road 14: How Grandma Lost $41,200 to Edward Fear that a kindly stranger is actually a calculated con - forty-seven photos of Filipino children and $41,200 wired from a 62-year-old Nebraska retiree were the only visible traces...
Fear that a kindly stranger is actually a calculated con - forty-seven photos of Filipino children and $41,200 wired from a 62-year-old Nebraska retiree were the only visible traces until a road grader blade revealed the rest; how did those images link to the kitchen table where the money left? Who was "Edward," and what did those smiling children really mean?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the moment the envelope split open on County Road 14 to the unfolding of a long-distance fraud against a woman in Garfield Creek. It covers the online profile, the steady correspondence, the paper trail of donations, and the delayed discovery that tied the photographs to her wires - could the objects in the mail expose the operation?

Person: Megan Bennett
Age: 62
Location: Garfield Creek, Nebraska
Amount wired: $41,200
Photos found: 47 color prints

- A sealed manila envelope split open on County Road 14 releasing 47 color photographs of Filipino children.
- Megan Bennett joined the fellowship site in summer 2022 and first received a message from "Edward Patterson" in October 2022.
- Over 18 months, Megan wired a total of $41,200 in multiple transfers labeled for items like a generator and water filtration.
- The first wire was $2,400 sent to a Cebu-registered construction company account in January 2023.
- Stationery from "Harvest of Grace Outreach" with a dove logo and Edward's handwritten signature arrived in Megan's mailbox in March 2023.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1224falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-trusted-robert-how-a-fake-lover-stole-her-life-and-4-200--73098068
Fear of betrayal snaps into focus when the man you trust is a construction of strangers: a birthday card left in a mailbox, daily texts timed to a dog’s medication, and $4,200 gone. Who built the chain of trust around Gloria Callahan, and how did an operation that used real photos and neighborly introductions convince her to hand over money?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from the first coffee to the final payment, showing how a fabricated relationship unfolded through coordinated messages, swapped actors, and a web of acquaintances - and we ask whether anything in Gloria’s routine made her uniquely vulnerable.

Person: Gloria Callahan
Age: 26
Location: Pratt Valley, Hardin County
Amount lost: $4,200
Dog: Biscuit, 12 years old, takes medication at 6:15 AM

- A birthday card dated March 4 was left in Gloria’s mailbox after she stopped responding.
- The initial introduction came from coworker Beth Norquist recommending “Robert Long.”
- The first man who met Gloria at the diner gave his real name as Paul Greer and was 31 years old.
- At least three different individuals rotated in the role of “Robert Long,” using a briefing notebook with Gloria’s routines.
- Photos sent to Gloria used images of Todd Haskell, age 40, cropped and filtered to avoid reverse-image searches.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098068Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Trusted "Robert": How a Fake Lover Stole Her Life and $4,200 Fear of betrayal snaps into focus when the man you trust is a construction of strangers: a birthday card left in a mailbox, daily texts timed to a dog’s medication, and $4,200 gone....
Fear of betrayal snaps into focus when the man you trust is a construction of strangers: a birthday card left in a mailbox, daily texts timed to a dog’s medication, and $4,200 gone. Who built the chain of trust around Gloria Callahan, and how did an operation that used real photos and neighborly introductions convince her to hand over money?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from the first coffee to the final payment, showing how a fabricated relationship unfolded through coordinated messages, swapped actors, and a web of acquaintances - and we ask whether anything in Gloria’s routine made her uniquely vulnerable.

Person: Gloria Callahan
Age: 26
Location: Pratt Valley, Hardin County
Amount lost: $4,200
Dog: Biscuit, 12 years old, takes medication at 6:15 AM

- A birthday card dated March 4 was left in Gloria’s mailbox after she stopped responding.
- The initial introduction came from coworker Beth Norquist recommending “Robert Long.”
- The first man who met Gloria at the diner gave his real name as Paul Greer and was 31 years old.
- At least three different individuals rotated in the role of “Robert Long,” using a briefing notebook with Gloria’s routines.
- Photos sent to Gloria used images of Todd Haskell, age 40, cropped and filtered to avoid reverse-image searches.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1178falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-rose-left-in-a-locked-alley-how-love-turned-into-31-400-theft--73098067
Fear and tenderness braided together: a fresh long-stemmed rose left in a locked alley led to the unraveling of $31,400 in transfers and a man who kept a spiral notebook of strangers' personal details-how did a token of romance hide a long con? What finally revealed the fraud?

In this episode, we tell the story of Amanda Powell and the sequence of events from a rose in a locked alley to repeated small transfers that accumulated into theft, following her online friendship with a man calling himself David Price and the clues that exposed him. What was the single detail that broke the pattern of careful kindnesses?

Person: Amanda Powell
Date: February 11, 2022
Location: locked alley in Dellford
Amount: $31,400
Duration: fourteen months

- A long-stemmed rose in a plastic bag and a sealed envelope addressed to "Amanda" was found on February 11, 2022 on top of a recycling container in a locked alley.
- Amanda joined NutriForward in late spring 2020 and received a connection request from "David Price" three weeks later.
- Over fourteen months Amanda sent repeated transfers, none exceeding $2,200, totaling $31,400.
- In January 2021 "David" first requested $900 for a malpractice insurance dispute and Amanda sent the payment through a payment app that same call.
- A man in Willard, Ohio later kept a spiral notebook with real names, family details, and financial histories of women he had never met in person.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098067Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Rose Left in a Locked Alley: How Love Turned Into $31,400 Theft Fear and tenderness braided together: a fresh long-stemmed rose left in a locked alley led to the unraveling of $31,400 in transfers and a man who kept a spiral notebook of...
Fear and tenderness braided together: a fresh long-stemmed rose left in a locked alley led to the unraveling of $31,400 in transfers and a man who kept a spiral notebook of strangers' personal details-how did a token of romance hide a long con? What finally revealed the fraud?

In this episode, we tell the story of Amanda Powell and the sequence of events from a rose in a locked alley to repeated small transfers that accumulated into theft, following her online friendship with a man calling himself David Price and the clues that exposed him. What was the single detail that broke the pattern of careful kindnesses?

Person: Amanda Powell
Date: February 11, 2022
Location: locked alley in Dellford
Amount: $31,400
Duration: fourteen months

- A long-stemmed rose in a plastic bag and a sealed envelope addressed to "Amanda" was found on February 11, 2022 on top of a recycling container in a locked alley.
- Amanda joined NutriForward in late spring 2020 and received a connection request from "David Price" three weeks later.
- Over fourteen months Amanda sent repeated transfers, none exceeding $2,200, totaling $31,400.
- In January 2021 "David" first requested $900 for a malpractice insurance dispute and Amanda sent the payment through a payment app that same call.
- A man in Willard, Ohio later kept a spiral notebook with real names, family details, and financial histories of women he had never met in person.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1055falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-wired-him-34-000-the-kent-york-romance-scam--73098065
Fear that someone you trust online is lying to you - a cattle rancher in New Mexico wired $34,000 after six weeks of messages from a woman who claimed UN logistics work, and a cardboard banker’s box with 112 pages later turned the case over to the FBI. How did a quiet ranch life, a newly created social account, and a rooster-topped box lead to federal investigators asking more questions than answers?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a meter reader finding a box on January 9, 2022 to the discovery that the box was placed at 3:40 a.m. by the homeowner himself, and how that paper trail connected a rural New Mexico ranch to transfer destinations and a victim in Colorado. What did the 112 pages of bank statements, wire confirmations, screenshots and one handwritten note actually reveal about the money and the messages?

Person: Kent York
Date: January 9, 2022
Location: Cibola Flats, New Mexico
Event: 112 printed pages found in a cardboard box
Case: Referred to the FBI Albuquerque field office within 48 hours

- Kent York turned 31 in spring 2021 and inherited the family ranch after his father Bobby’s cardiac event in 2019.
- The ranch covered 240 acres and included cattle, a dog named Coop, and his father’s canvas gloves on the workbench.
- Kent joined social media in March 2021; the account was three weeks old when the first message from “Heather Roberts” arrived.
- Over six weeks of messaging, “Heather Roberts” claimed to work in nonprofit logistics and said she accepted a 90-day UN deployment in West Africa.
- The first wire request in July was for $11,000 wired to a Cyprus logistics firm account; the total wired reached $34,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098065Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Wired Him $34,000: The Kent York Romance Scam Fear that someone you trust online is lying to you - a cattle rancher in New Mexico wired $34,000 after six weeks of messages from a woman who claimed UN logistics work, and a cardboard banker’s box...
Fear that someone you trust online is lying to you - a cattle rancher in New Mexico wired $34,000 after six weeks of messages from a woman who claimed UN logistics work, and a cardboard banker’s box with 112 pages later turned the case over to the FBI. How did a quiet ranch life, a newly created social account, and a rooster-topped box lead to federal investigators asking more questions than answers?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a meter reader finding a box on January 9, 2022 to the discovery that the box was placed at 3:40 a.m. by the homeowner himself, and how that paper trail connected a rural New Mexico ranch to transfer destinations and a victim in Colorado. What did the 112 pages of bank statements, wire confirmations, screenshots and one handwritten note actually reveal about the money and the messages?

Person: Kent York
Date: January 9, 2022
Location: Cibola Flats, New Mexico
Event: 112 printed pages found in a cardboard box
Case: Referred to the FBI Albuquerque field office within 48 hours

- Kent York turned 31 in spring 2021 and inherited the family ranch after his father Bobby’s cardiac event in 2019.
- The ranch covered 240 acres and included cattle, a dog named Coop, and his father’s canvas gloves on the workbench.
- Kent joined social media in March 2021; the account was three weeks old when the first message from “Heather Roberts” arrived.
- Over six weeks of messaging, “Heather Roberts” claimed to work in nonprofit logistics and said she accepted a 90-day UN deployment in West Africa.
- The first wire request in July was for $11,000 wired to a Cyprus logistics firm account; the total wired reached $34,000.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1165falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-built-a-life-to-steal-his-heart--73098061
Curiosity turned into catastrophe: a tournament chess set left mid-game on a church pew was the last visible piece of an elaborate romance fraud that used a man's routines as its blueprint. How did a fabricated online persona, a scraped photograph, and eighteen months of observation lead to a theft that touched family, work, and a care facility?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning a stranger found the chess set through the months of contact that followed, tracing the online account, the daily games, the transferred messages, and the gradual shift into real-life manipulation to ask: when does being known become being owned?

Person: Stanley Keller
Date: December 9, 2019
Location: Holloway Presbyterian Church
Account: Andrei_Volkov_Chess
Alias Photo Source: professional directory

- Stanley Keller was 52 years old in winter 2019 and had lived alone on Ember Ridge Road for 11 years.
- Bob Keller was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia in 2017 and received weekly two-hour visits from Stanley every Wednesday.
- Stanley logged into Regent Chess almost every Tuesday and Thursday evening and used the handle StanK-Oregon.
- The account Andrei_Volkov_Chess was registered 14 months before March 12, 2019 and observed Stanley's activity for about one month before sending a game request.
- Pieter Van Horn’s photograph, scraped from a professional directory, was used to create the Andrei persona though he had never played online chess or known Stanley.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098061Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:44:45 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Built a Life to Steal His Heart Curiosity turned into catastrophe: a tournament chess set left mid-game on a church pew was the last visible piece of an elaborate romance fraud that used a man's routines as its blueprint. How did a...
Curiosity turned into catastrophe: a tournament chess set left mid-game on a church pew was the last visible piece of an elaborate romance fraud that used a man's routines as its blueprint. How did a fabricated online persona, a scraped photograph, and eighteen months of observation lead to a theft that touched family, work, and a care facility?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning a stranger found the chess set through the months of contact that followed, tracing the online account, the daily games, the transferred messages, and the gradual shift into real-life manipulation to ask: when does being known become being owned?

Person: Stanley Keller
Date: December 9, 2019
Location: Holloway Presbyterian Church
Account: Andrei_Volkov_Chess
Alias Photo Source: professional directory

- Stanley Keller was 52 years old in winter 2019 and had lived alone on Ember Ridge Road for 11 years.
- Bob Keller was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia in 2017 and received weekly two-hour visits from Stanley every Wednesday.
- Stanley logged into Regent Chess almost every Tuesday and Thursday evening and used the handle StanK-Oregon.
- The account Andrei_Volkov_Chess was registered 14 months before March 12, 2019 and observed Stanley's activity for about one month before sending a game request.
- Pieter Van Horn’s photograph, scraped from a professional directory, was used to create the Andrei persona though he had never played online chess or known Stanley.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1215falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-loved-me-into-debt-the-moderator-who-stole-our-survivors-hearts--73098058
Fear that the person who says "I love you" online is actually constructing a life-sized lie: a greeting card sealed in a bag on a mudflat, a stolen profile photo, and twelve separate transfers that emptied a survivor's savings - who was Howard, and how did he engineer trust so thoroughly that Cheryl wired him thousands?

In this episode, we tell the story of Cheryl Vogel and the online support group Survivors in Step, laying out how a group moderator using a stolen photo became intimately involved in Cheryl's life and finances, and what was discovered after a card washed ashore by Perritt Reservoir. What happened between the first four-hour call and the last wire transfer?

Person: Cheryl Vogel
Age: 46
Location: Belford, Ohio
Group: Survivors in Step (closed Facebook group, ~300 members)
Imposter: Howard Dale Mitchell, 54, suburban Columbus, Ohio

- A greeting card sealed in a zip-lock bag was found at Perritt Reservoir on November 14, 2019.
- Cheryl walked a 2.5-mile route each morning at 7:15 that she had missed only twice in the prior year.
- Cheryl began private messages with "Howard" in March 2018 and had daily evening calls by April 2018.
- Cheryl wired money 12 times over 13 months, starting with $4,000 in October 2018.
- The profile photo used by "Howard" belonged to Dennis Pruitt, posted publicly in 2016, who had no connection to the group.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098058Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:44:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Loved Me Into Debt: The Moderator Who Stole Our Survivors' Hearts Fear that the person who says "I love you" online is actually constructing a life-sized lie: a greeting card sealed in a bag on a mudflat, a stolen profile photo, and twelve...
Fear that the person who says "I love you" online is actually constructing a life-sized lie: a greeting card sealed in a bag on a mudflat, a stolen profile photo, and twelve separate transfers that emptied a survivor's savings - who was Howard, and how did he engineer trust so thoroughly that Cheryl wired him thousands?

In this episode, we tell the story of Cheryl Vogel and the online support group Survivors in Step, laying out how a group moderator using a stolen photo became intimately involved in Cheryl's life and finances, and what was discovered after a card washed ashore by Perritt Reservoir. What happened between the first four-hour call and the last wire transfer?

Person: Cheryl Vogel
Age: 46
Location: Belford, Ohio
Group: Survivors in Step (closed Facebook group, ~300 members)
Imposter: Howard Dale Mitchell, 54, suburban Columbus, Ohio

- A greeting card sealed in a zip-lock bag was found at Perritt Reservoir on November 14, 2019.
- Cheryl walked a 2.5-mile route each morning at 7:15 that she had missed only twice in the prior year.
- Cheryl began private messages with "Howard" in March 2018 and had daily evening calls by April 2018.
- Cheryl wired money 12 times over 13 months, starting with $4,000 in October 2018.
- The profile photo used by "Howard" belonged to Dennis Pruitt, posted publicly in 2016, who had no connection to the group.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1156falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-buried-her-letters-in-a-river-then-she-read-the-fine-print--73098057
Fear that a private life can be weaponized hits first: forty handwritten letters, double-sealed and found dry inside ziplock bags in a river, broke open a seventeen-month pen‑pal story that led to unexpected fraud. How did mail that should have crossed oceans in four days end up staged in a Vermillion Fork trotline, and who drove to Prattsburg at night to hide someone else’s correspondence?

In this episode, we follow the timeline laid out in the letters and the paperwork that changed everything, from Rotterdam postmarks to American paper sizes, and ask what it means when trust built over months is repurposed into a scheme. Can transit times, paper dimensions, and a single photograph reveal where the deception began?

Person: Kent Vogel
Age: 28
Location: Prattsburg, Indiana
Letters found: 40 (double-sealed in ziplock bags, bound in red kitchen twine)
Correspondence span: 17 months (41 letters received, 37 sent)

- Letters recovered from Vermillion Fork were dry inside ziplock bags despite appearing to have been underwater for days.
- Kent joined Letters Across Borders in September 2020 and never missed weekly Thursday volunteer sessions for three years.
- Forty-one letters arrived from the correspondent “Gary,” and Kent sent thirty-seven replies over the 17-month period.
- Multiple letters bore Rotterdam postmarks and typically took four days to reach Prattsburg, except one that arrived in three days.
- Fourteen later letters examined by a paralegal showed they were printed on US letter-size (8.5 x 11 inches), not European A4.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098057Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:44:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Buried Her Letters in a River - Then She Read the Fine Print Fear that a private life can be weaponized hits first: forty handwritten letters, double-sealed and found dry inside ziplock bags in a river, broke open a seventeen-month pen‑pal story...
Fear that a private life can be weaponized hits first: forty handwritten letters, double-sealed and found dry inside ziplock bags in a river, broke open a seventeen-month pen‑pal story that led to unexpected fraud. How did mail that should have crossed oceans in four days end up staged in a Vermillion Fork trotline, and who drove to Prattsburg at night to hide someone else’s correspondence?

In this episode, we follow the timeline laid out in the letters and the paperwork that changed everything, from Rotterdam postmarks to American paper sizes, and ask what it means when trust built over months is repurposed into a scheme. Can transit times, paper dimensions, and a single photograph reveal where the deception began?

Person: Kent Vogel
Age: 28
Location: Prattsburg, Indiana
Letters found: 40 (double-sealed in ziplock bags, bound in red kitchen twine)
Correspondence span: 17 months (41 letters received, 37 sent)

- Letters recovered from Vermillion Fork were dry inside ziplock bags despite appearing to have been underwater for days.
- Kent joined Letters Across Borders in September 2020 and never missed weekly Thursday volunteer sessions for three years.
- Forty-one letters arrived from the correspondent “Gary,” and Kent sent thirty-seven replies over the 17-month period.
- Multiple letters bore Rotterdam postmarks and typically took four days to reach Prattsburg, except one that arrived in three days.
- Fourteen later letters examined by a paralegal showed they were printed on US letter-size (8.5 x 11 inches), not European A4.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1075falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-postcard-in-her-wall-how-gregory-bought-a-teacher-s-trust--73098055
There's a postcard tucked into the insulation of a house - a color photo of Venice and a note signed "G." It set off a chain that led a careful, retired fourth-grade teacher to wire $5,000 to a man she had never met; how did a single cardboard postcard become the hinge of a financial deception?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Melissa Zeller found the postcard on September 12, 2019, through the online relationship that began on July 5, 2019, and the three-week timeline of requests that ended with Linda Young sending money; how did a profile named Gregory Schmidt, a fabricated backstory about deafness, and perfectly forged invoices persuade a disciplined educator to pay?

Person: Linda Young
Date: September 12, 2019
Event: ConnectUs profile created on July 5, 2019
Amount: $5,000
Investigator: Dennis Reynolds

- Linda Young was 54 years old and had taught fourth grade for 26 years at Dorset Elementary.
- The postcard discovered on insulation batting was a color photograph of Venice with "For when we finally get there together. - G." written on the back.
- A ConnectUs profile for "Gregory Schmidt" appeared on July 5, 2019, claiming he was a 58-year-old architect from Portland who had been deaf since age seven.
- Linda wired $1,800 for alleged ransomware recovery and $3,200 for a fabricated cochlear implant invoice, totaling $5,000.
- The profile photo used images belonging to Robert Norby, a 49-year-old architect in Minneapolis whose photos were harvested without his knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098055Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:44:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Postcard in Her Wall: How "Gregory" Bought a Teacher's Trust There's a postcard tucked into the insulation of a house - a color photo of Venice and a note signed "G." It set off a chain that led a careful, retired fourth-grade teacher to wire...
There's a postcard tucked into the insulation of a house - a color photo of Venice and a note signed "G." It set off a chain that led a careful, retired fourth-grade teacher to wire $5,000 to a man she had never met; how did a single cardboard postcard become the hinge of a financial deception?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Melissa Zeller found the postcard on September 12, 2019, through the online relationship that began on July 5, 2019, and the three-week timeline of requests that ended with Linda Young sending money; how did a profile named Gregory Schmidt, a fabricated backstory about deafness, and perfectly forged invoices persuade a disciplined educator to pay?

Person: Linda Young
Date: September 12, 2019
Event: ConnectUs profile created on July 5, 2019
Amount: $5,000
Investigator: Dennis Reynolds

- Linda Young was 54 years old and had taught fourth grade for 26 years at Dorset Elementary.
- The postcard discovered on insulation batting was a color photograph of Venice with "For when we finally get there together. - G." written on the back.
- A ConnectUs profile for "Gregory Schmidt" appeared on July 5, 2019, claiming he was a 58-year-old architect from Portland who had been deaf since age seven.
- Linda wired $1,800 for alleged ransomware recovery and $3,200 for a fabricated cochlear implant invoice, totaling $5,000.
- The profile photo used images belonging to Robert Norby, a 49-year-old architect in Minneapolis whose photos were harvested without his knowledge.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1185falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-kept-her-photo-how-a-spreadsheet-exposed-a-romance-scammer--73098052
The photo on a concrete lip and the handwritten note "I kept this one" were the first strange pieces in a scheme that quietly extracted more than $9,000 over months - all without a single in-person meeting. How did a Tuesday night board-game spreadsheet become the single document that unraveled a romance scam?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the framed photograph found on August 14 to the slow, calibrated conversations that led to repeated transfers, and we trace how a pattern in a game-night attendance and scoring spreadsheet raised the single question that connected everything.

Person: Dawn Mitchell
Location: Tallow Creek
Date found: August 14
Amount sent: more than $9,000
Profile name used: Charles Lewis

- The framed photograph was five by seven inches, cardboard-backed with an acrylic strip, found on a concrete access-cover lip.
- The back of the photo had four words written in blue ballpoint pen: "I kept this one."
- Dawn was 22 years old, commuted 31 miles each way to Waverly Community College, and drove a 2009 hatchback with a cracked windshield.
- The false profile contacted Dawn in late May of the first year and became a steady contact by September of that year.
- Dawn noticed six consecutive Tuesdays with missing game scores and logged a second spreadsheet tab after discovering the pattern.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098052Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:43:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Kept Her Photo: How a Spreadsheet Exposed a Romance Scammer The photo on a concrete lip and the handwritten note "I kept this one" were the first strange pieces in a scheme that quietly extracted more than $9,000 over months - all without a...
The photo on a concrete lip and the handwritten note "I kept this one" were the first strange pieces in a scheme that quietly extracted more than $9,000 over months - all without a single in-person meeting. How did a Tuesday night board-game spreadsheet become the single document that unraveled a romance scam?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the framed photograph found on August 14 to the slow, calibrated conversations that led to repeated transfers, and we trace how a pattern in a game-night attendance and scoring spreadsheet raised the single question that connected everything.

Person: Dawn Mitchell
Location: Tallow Creek
Date found: August 14
Amount sent: more than $9,000
Profile name used: Charles Lewis

- The framed photograph was five by seven inches, cardboard-backed with an acrylic strip, found on a concrete access-cover lip.
- The back of the photo had four words written in blue ballpoint pen: "I kept this one."
- Dawn was 22 years old, commuted 31 miles each way to Waverly Community College, and drove a 2009 hatchback with a cracked windshield.
- The false profile contacted Dawn in late May of the first year and became a steady contact by September of that year.
- Dawn noticed six consecutive Tuesdays with missing game scores and logged a second spreadsheet tab after discovering the pattern.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>972falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-lie-how-my-daniel-always-built-a-26k-romance-scam--73098051
Grief turned into a vulnerability that cost one woman $26,400-and the smallest object, a perfectly dry photograph stamped "My Daniel. Always.", became the only physical clue. How did a laminated pet-care card, a Facebook grief group, and a stranger called Steven Sanders lead to a two-year scam that used a living man's image without his knowledge?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a dried photograph found at Pickett Reservoir to the online messages that began in a closed Facebook group, detailing who was involved and how the deception grew-what exactly connected the laminated card, the diner handoff, and the losses Heather suffered?

Person: Heather O'Connor
Location: Dunmore, Ohio
Date found: July 2019
Amount lost: $26,400
Group: Mourning Bridge (≈300 members)

- The photograph with the words "My Daniel. Always." was found face-up in wet grass at Pickett Reservoir in the second week of July 2019 and was completely dry.
- Heather O'Connor was 38 years old in spring 2017 and worked as a senior billing coordinator in Dunmore, Ohio.
- Heather's mother, Pauline, died in April 2017 after a 14-month decline from ovarian cancer.
- Clyde, Heather's cat, was 18 years old in spring 2017 and required two insulin injections daily at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., with a laminated care card left for neighbor Donna Pryce.
- A new Facebook member using the name Steven Sanders joined Mourning Bridge in January 2018, listed as a 51-year-old retired military engineer located in the Gulf region, and moved private messages with Heather within three weeks.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098051Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:43:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Laminated Lie: How "My Daniel. Always." Built a $26K Romance Scam Grief turned into a vulnerability that cost one woman $26,400-and the smallest object, a perfectly dry photograph stamped "My Daniel. Always.", became the only physical clue. How...
Grief turned into a vulnerability that cost one woman $26,400-and the smallest object, a perfectly dry photograph stamped "My Daniel. Always.", became the only physical clue. How did a laminated pet-care card, a Facebook grief group, and a stranger called Steven Sanders lead to a two-year scam that used a living man's image without his knowledge?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from a dried photograph found at Pickett Reservoir to the online messages that began in a closed Facebook group, detailing who was involved and how the deception grew-what exactly connected the laminated card, the diner handoff, and the losses Heather suffered?

Person: Heather O'Connor
Location: Dunmore, Ohio
Date found: July 2019
Amount lost: $26,400
Group: Mourning Bridge (≈300 members)

- The photograph with the words "My Daniel. Always." was found face-up in wet grass at Pickett Reservoir in the second week of July 2019 and was completely dry.
- Heather O'Connor was 38 years old in spring 2017 and worked as a senior billing coordinator in Dunmore, Ohio.
- Heather's mother, Pauline, died in April 2017 after a 14-month decline from ovarian cancer.
- Clyde, Heather's cat, was 18 years old in spring 2017 and required two insulin injections daily at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., with a laminated care card left for neighbor Donna Pryce.
- A new Facebook member using the name Steven Sanders joined Mourning Bridge in January 2018, listed as a 51-year-old retired military engineer located in the Gulf region, and moved private messages with Heather within three weeks.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1236falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-widow-who-didn-t-exist-how-they-stole-114-000-from-her-without-entering-her-house--73098050
Grief made him vulnerable and a fraudster turned public records and a tagged photograph into a weapon: $114,000 vanished without a forced entry. How did one carefully crafted online persona convince a retired man to send money again and again, and what broke the pattern that finally exposed the scheme?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a tagged library photo to the first $412 transfer and the fourteen-month romance that preceded a massive financial loss. We explain who built the fake profile, how public data was used, and the single omitted call that became crucial - who was behind the Sandra account and why did Curtis stop telling Monica?

Person: Curtis Richardson
Event: Sandra Richardson's death, September 2017
Case: Romance fraud using a fake "Sandra" profile
Perpetrator: Alan Campbell, age 38
Amount stolen: $114,000

- Curtis retired after 31 years at Deerlake, last 16 years as shift supervisor.
- Sandra Richardson died at age 59 in September 2017.
- Curtis joined a grief support group meeting first and third Tuesdays in January 2018.
- A library volunteer posted a grief group photo in March 2018; Curtis was tagged and located within 72 hours.
- The first fraudulent payment Curtis made was $412 with a 48-hour processing window.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098050Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:43:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe widow who didn't exist: how they stole $114,000 from her without entering her house Grief made him vulnerable and a fraudster turned public records and a tagged photograph into a weapon: $114,000 vanished without a forced entry. How did one...
Grief made him vulnerable and a fraudster turned public records and a tagged photograph into a weapon: $114,000 vanished without a forced entry. How did one carefully crafted online persona convince a retired man to send money again and again, and what broke the pattern that finally exposed the scheme?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a tagged library photo to the first $412 transfer and the fourteen-month romance that preceded a massive financial loss. We explain who built the fake profile, how public data was used, and the single omitted call that became crucial - who was behind the Sandra account and why did Curtis stop telling Monica?

Person: Curtis Richardson
Event: Sandra Richardson's death, September 2017
Case: Romance fraud using a fake "Sandra" profile
Perpetrator: Alan Campbell, age 38
Amount stolen: $114,000

- Curtis retired after 31 years at Deerlake, last 16 years as shift supervisor.
- Sandra Richardson died at age 59 in September 2017.
- Curtis joined a grief support group meeting first and third Tuesdays in January 2018.
- A library volunteer posted a grief group photo in March 2018; Curtis was tagged and located within 72 hours.
- The first fraudulent payment Curtis made was $412 with a 48-hour processing window.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1178falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-rose-the-will-and-the-woman-who-stole-his-last-63-000--73098049
A single artificial rose with a handwritten card from "Kathleen" became a photograph entered into court seven months after it was found - and it marked the start of $63,000 disappearing from an eighty-one-year-old man's life. How did routine kindness, handwritten notes, and routine home visits turn into a rewritten will and a woman gone four counties away?

In this episode, we tell what unfolded around Walter Grimes over twelve months: the flyers, the visits, the small paid jobs, the change in his will, and how his family and neighbors noticed the differences that eventually led to evidence. What did the people who loved him uncover about Kathleen Patterson and the paper trail she left behind?

Person: Walter Grimes
Person: Kathleen Patterson
Age: 81
Amount: $63,000
Event: Photograph of a rose entered into evidence seven months after it was found

- The rose was artificial, candy-apple red, found in the concrete drainage channel at Pinebrook Estates.
- The card on the rose was handwritten in block capitals by Walter Grimes saying "From your Kathleen, always."
- Patterson distributed printed flyers for Kline Home Services in March 2018 and knocked on Walter's door about six weeks later.
- By June 2018, Patterson was visiting Walter twice a week and performing small jobs for cash.
- Patterson presented herself as thirty-eight but was actually forty-four and had a prior fraud conviction in Indiana from 2012.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098049Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:43:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Rose, the Will, and the Woman Who Stole His Last $63,000 A single artificial rose with a handwritten card from "Kathleen" became a photograph entered into court seven months after it was found - and it marked the start of $63,000 disappearing...
A single artificial rose with a handwritten card from "Kathleen" became a photograph entered into court seven months after it was found - and it marked the start of $63,000 disappearing from an eighty-one-year-old man's life. How did routine kindness, handwritten notes, and routine home visits turn into a rewritten will and a woman gone four counties away?

In this episode, we tell what unfolded around Walter Grimes over twelve months: the flyers, the visits, the small paid jobs, the change in his will, and how his family and neighbors noticed the differences that eventually led to evidence. What did the people who loved him uncover about Kathleen Patterson and the paper trail she left behind?

Person: Walter Grimes
Person: Kathleen Patterson
Age: 81
Amount: $63,000
Event: Photograph of a rose entered into evidence seven months after it was found

- The rose was artificial, candy-apple red, found in the concrete drainage channel at Pinebrook Estates.
- The card on the rose was handwritten in block capitals by Walter Grimes saying "From your Kathleen, always."
- Patterson distributed printed flyers for Kline Home Services in March 2018 and knocked on Walter's door about six weeks later.
- By June 2018, Patterson was visiting Walter twice a week and performing small jobs for cash.
- Patterson presented herself as thirty-eight but was actually forty-four and had a prior fraud conviction in Indiana from 2012.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1131falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-said-she-didn-t-trust-then-sent-31-000-and-vanished--73098048
Fear of betrayal: a 48-year-old medical coder who said four times she "did not trust easily" wired $31,000 in nine transfers after matching with a man whose profile claimed he was an offshore civil and structural engineer - then stopped leaving her house and left seven unopened wire-transfer receipts in her mailbox. What was happening inside her home between October and March?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the match on a dating app in October through Erin Campbell’s disappearance from public life in early March, the seven unopened envelopes found in April, and the police response that led detectives to speak with her; what happened between October and March is the central question.

Person: Erin Campbell
Age: 48
Location: Orchard Trace Road, Harperville
Amount: $31,000
Transfers: 9 separate wire transfers

- Erin lived on Orchard Trace Road for eleven years and worked from home as a medical coder.
- She stopped visiting her aunt Vera at the Clement Street care facility in early March after visiting every Thursday without exception.
- Norman Powell, a meter reader, found the mailbox jammed with seven unopened envelopes postmarked February or March.
- The seven envelopes were receipts from wire-transfer services for transactions already completed.
- Detective Gary Wagner met Erin at her house and sat in her kitchen for three hours after she returned from Columbus, Ohio, in the early hours of March 5.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098048Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:43:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Said She Didn't Trust-Then Sent $31,000 and Vanished Fear of betrayal: a 48-year-old medical coder who said four times she "did not trust easily" wired $31,000 in nine transfers after matching with a man whose profile claimed he was an offshore...
Fear of betrayal: a 48-year-old medical coder who said four times she "did not trust easily" wired $31,000 in nine transfers after matching with a man whose profile claimed he was an offshore civil and structural engineer - then stopped leaving her house and left seven unopened wire-transfer receipts in her mailbox. What was happening inside her home between October and March?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the match on a dating app in October through Erin Campbell’s disappearance from public life in early March, the seven unopened envelopes found in April, and the police response that led detectives to speak with her; what happened between October and March is the central question.

Person: Erin Campbell
Age: 48
Location: Orchard Trace Road, Harperville
Amount: $31,000
Transfers: 9 separate wire transfers

- Erin lived on Orchard Trace Road for eleven years and worked from home as a medical coder.
- She stopped visiting her aunt Vera at the Clement Street care facility in early March after visiting every Thursday without exception.
- Norman Powell, a meter reader, found the mailbox jammed with seven unopened envelopes postmarked February or March.
- The seven envelopes were receipts from wire-transfer services for transactions already completed.
- Detective Gary Wagner met Erin at her house and sat in her kitchen for three hours after she returned from Columbus, Ohio, in the early hours of March 5.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1041falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-envelope-on-the-bench-how-a-ring-box-became-a-lie--73098047
A dry, sealed envelope with a gold-foil heart was found on a soaked concrete bench after two inches of rain - yet someone had placed it there deliberately as a prop in a calculated romance con. Who staged the envelope, why was it timed to April Bailey’s routine, and what else was part of the deception?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events that connected a volunteer at Millstone Road Community Church to a man who claimed to be a civil engineer, the discovery of repeated fake photographs, and the unraveling that began with a reverse-image search. How did the staged moments and rehearsed kindness lead to multiple women being solicited for money?

Person: April Bailey
Person: Gary Graham
Person: Rachel Sullivan
Location: Holt Street culvert bench, Sycamore Flats
Event: Reverse-image search revealing stolen photos

- Two inches of rain had fallen overnight before Douglas Cole found the dry, sealed envelope on the bench.
- The envelope bore one word on the front in careful handwriting: "April."
- April Bailey was 31 years old and worked as a paralegal at a Clover Street estate firm in Dunmore.
- Gary Graham was introduced to volunteers in early January as a 54-year-old who said he was a civil engineer and primary caregiver for his mother.
- Of six photos Graham sent over seven weeks, four matched a LinkedIn profile for Steven Ault, one was unidentifiable, and one was a stock photograph.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098047Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:42:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dry Envelope on the Bench: How a Ring Box Became a Lie A dry, sealed envelope with a gold-foil heart was found on a soaked concrete bench after two inches of rain - yet someone had placed it there deliberately as a prop in a calculated romance...
A dry, sealed envelope with a gold-foil heart was found on a soaked concrete bench after two inches of rain - yet someone had placed it there deliberately as a prop in a calculated romance con. Who staged the envelope, why was it timed to April Bailey’s routine, and what else was part of the deception?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events that connected a volunteer at Millstone Road Community Church to a man who claimed to be a civil engineer, the discovery of repeated fake photographs, and the unraveling that began with a reverse-image search. How did the staged moments and rehearsed kindness lead to multiple women being solicited for money?

Person: April Bailey
Person: Gary Graham
Person: Rachel Sullivan
Location: Holt Street culvert bench, Sycamore Flats
Event: Reverse-image search revealing stolen photos

- Two inches of rain had fallen overnight before Douglas Cole found the dry, sealed envelope on the bench.
- The envelope bore one word on the front in careful handwriting: "April."
- April Bailey was 31 years old and worked as a paralegal at a Clover Street estate firm in Dunmore.
- Gary Graham was introduced to volunteers in early January as a 54-year-old who said he was a civil engineer and primary caregiver for his mother.
- Of six photos Graham sent over seven weeks, four matched a LinkedIn profile for Steven Ault, one was unidentifiable, and one was a stock photograph.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1076falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-photo-on-the-step-how-a-portrait-exposed-a-romance-scam-kingpin--73098046
Fear and betrayal: a portrait mailed from Knoxville to a doorstep in Claremont Heights forced a confrontation between a stolen identity and the man who paid the price-what does one photograph do to a six-year scheme? Who mailed the photo and did the fraudster ever look at it?

In this episode, we tell how a careful routine life and a simple volunteer schedule intersected with an online romance that turned into an $800 loss and a federal case, and why a mailed CVS print became the pivotal object in the investigation. What the photograph meant, and whether the intended recipient ever saw it, is the question that outlived the arrest and sentence.

Person: Jessica Roberts
Person: Dennis Campbell
Person: Aaron Voss
Amount: $800
Sentence: six-year federal sentence

- Kenneth White found a framed photograph with a sticky note reading "For Dennis. So you know who you pretended to be." on a front step while twelve minutes behind schedule.
- Jessica Roberts received an account in late October under the name Sergeant First Class Aaron Voss and moved conversations to a private messaging app by early December.
- The first money request arrived mid-January for $800 described as a daughter's school enrollment fee.
- Investigators recovered a spiral-bound notebook used across rentals in three mid-Missouri cities over four years containing scripted contact language and a full page of phrases to deflect live video calls.
- The photographs used in the scam matched a real person, Aaron Voss, a U.S. Army veteran living in Knoxville, Tennessee, employed as a building inspector with a wife and two children.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098046Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:42:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Photo on the Step: How a Portrait Exposed a Romance Scam kingpin Fear and betrayal: a portrait mailed from Knoxville to a doorstep in Claremont Heights forced a confrontation between a stolen identity and the man who paid the price-what does...
Fear and betrayal: a portrait mailed from Knoxville to a doorstep in Claremont Heights forced a confrontation between a stolen identity and the man who paid the price-what does one photograph do to a six-year scheme? Who mailed the photo and did the fraudster ever look at it?

In this episode, we tell how a careful routine life and a simple volunteer schedule intersected with an online romance that turned into an $800 loss and a federal case, and why a mailed CVS print became the pivotal object in the investigation. What the photograph meant, and whether the intended recipient ever saw it, is the question that outlived the arrest and sentence.

Person: Jessica Roberts
Person: Dennis Campbell
Person: Aaron Voss
Amount: $800
Sentence: six-year federal sentence

- Kenneth White found a framed photograph with a sticky note reading "For Dennis. So you know who you pretended to be." on a front step while twelve minutes behind schedule.
- Jessica Roberts received an account in late October under the name Sergeant First Class Aaron Voss and moved conversations to a private messaging app by early December.
- The first money request arrived mid-January for $800 described as a daughter's school enrollment fee.
- Investigators recovered a spiral-bound notebook used across rentals in three mid-Missouri cities over four years containing scripted contact language and a full page of phrases to deflect live video calls.
- The photographs used in the scam matched a real person, Aaron Voss, a U.S. Army veteran living in Knoxville, Tennessee, employed as a building inspector with a wife and two children.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1011falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-golden-card-how-it-won-over-and-drained-jeffrey-s-savings--73098044
The pull of a stranger who seemed to know him was the hook: a gold card, forty or fifty organized bank statements, and $41,200 missing from four years of careful savings - all left like a silent clue on Jeffrey's kitchen table. Who was "Gregory," why did the money move through a prepaid account and a logistics address in Atlanta to a mailbox in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and how did a man Jeffrey believed he loved erase his future plans?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Jeffrey Reynolds from the first message on a dating platform to the discovery in his kitchen, tracing the money flow, the online exchanges, and the people who noticed when he stopped answering. What exactly did the records and contacts reveal about the path of the funds and the identity tied to that gold card?

Person: Jeffrey Reynolds
Age: 44
Amount: $41,200
Platform: ConnectTrue (first message March 2018)
Location of mailbox receiving funds: Clarksburg, West Virginia

- The gold card was propped against the kitchen window above forty or fifty chronological bank statements.
- Jeffrey had saved $41,200 over four years after a divorce to buy a house with a yard.
- He joined ConnectTrue in March 2018 and received a message within one week from "Gregory Sharp."
- Money moved through a prepaid account and a logistics address in the suburbs of Atlanta before reaching a mailbox in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
- The real Gregory Sharp, a 46-year-old HVAC subcontractor in Lexington, had his cell number written on an internal vendor contact sheet at Ashworth Regional.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098044Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:42:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Golden Card: How It Won Over and Drained Jeffrey's Savings The pull of a stranger who seemed to know him was the hook: a gold card, forty or fifty organized bank statements, and $41,200 missing from four years of careful savings - all left like...
The pull of a stranger who seemed to know him was the hook: a gold card, forty or fifty organized bank statements, and $41,200 missing from four years of careful savings - all left like a silent clue on Jeffrey's kitchen table. Who was "Gregory," why did the money move through a prepaid account and a logistics address in Atlanta to a mailbox in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and how did a man Jeffrey believed he loved erase his future plans?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Jeffrey Reynolds from the first message on a dating platform to the discovery in his kitchen, tracing the money flow, the online exchanges, and the people who noticed when he stopped answering. What exactly did the records and contacts reveal about the path of the funds and the identity tied to that gold card?

Person: Jeffrey Reynolds
Age: 44
Amount: $41,200
Platform: ConnectTrue (first message March 2018)
Location of mailbox receiving funds: Clarksburg, West Virginia

- The gold card was propped against the kitchen window above forty or fifty chronological bank statements.
- Jeffrey had saved $41,200 over four years after a divorce to buy a house with a yard.
- He joined ConnectTrue in March 2018 and received a message within one week from "Gregory Sharp."
- Money moved through a prepaid account and a logistics address in the suburbs of Atlanta before reaching a mailbox in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
- The real Gregory Sharp, a 46-year-old HVAC subcontractor in Lexington, had his cell number written on an internal vendor contact sheet at Ashworth Regional.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1117falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/she-thought-he-was-real-6-240-a-photo-a-lie--73098043
Fear that the person you loved was never who they seemed-Brenda sent $6,240 over ten months to someone she believed was a 34-year-old logistics consultant in Singapore, but the voice she trusted was partly synthetic and the photograph that proved nothing was placed by the woman in it; who was really behind the messages and the workshop spreadsheet?

In this episode, we trace how a language-exchange match became a ten-month relationship of 341 exchanges, $6,240 in transfers, and a staged discovery at a park that raised bigger questions about identity, voice synthesis, and deliberate deception - who used Brenda's image and why?

Person: Brenda Stroud
Amount: $6,240
Exchanges: 341 logged exchanges
Saved voice messages: 43 files
Location found: Carl Ward Trail root hollow

- Brenda was 28 years old and taught English as a second language from her apartment on Ashford Lane.
- Over ten and a half months she sent a total of $6,240 to the TandemBridge user Vincent Lim SG.
- The relationship produced 341 logged exchanges and 43 voice messages that Brenda saved.
- Biscuit the three-year-old golden retriever found a ziplock bag on the Carl Ward Trail containing a printed photo, handwritten note, and printed chat logs.
- Investigators found a rural workshop in Adair County with three TandemBridge accounts, a commercial text-to-speech rig, and source recordings on an external drive.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098043Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:42:21 +0000Creator at ObomediaShe Thought He Was Real - $6,240, A Photo, A Lie Fear that the person you loved was never who they seemed-Brenda sent $6,240 over ten months to someone she believed was a 34-year-old logistics consultant in Singapore, but the voice she trusted was...
Fear that the person you loved was never who they seemed-Brenda sent $6,240 over ten months to someone she believed was a 34-year-old logistics consultant in Singapore, but the voice she trusted was partly synthetic and the photograph that proved nothing was placed by the woman in it; who was really behind the messages and the workshop spreadsheet?

In this episode, we trace how a language-exchange match became a ten-month relationship of 341 exchanges, $6,240 in transfers, and a staged discovery at a park that raised bigger questions about identity, voice synthesis, and deliberate deception - who used Brenda's image and why?

Person: Brenda Stroud
Amount: $6,240
Exchanges: 341 logged exchanges
Saved voice messages: 43 files
Location found: Carl Ward Trail root hollow

- Brenda was 28 years old and taught English as a second language from her apartment on Ashford Lane.
- Over ten and a half months she sent a total of $6,240 to the TandemBridge user Vincent Lim SG.
- The relationship produced 341 logged exchanges and 43 voice messages that Brenda saved.
- Biscuit the three-year-old golden retriever found a ziplock bag on the Carl Ward Trail containing a printed photo, handwritten note, and printed chat logs.
- Investigators found a rural workshop in Adair County with three TandemBridge accounts, a commercial text-to-speech rig, and source recordings on an external drive.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1183falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hooked-by-a-soldier-who-never-existed-the-darlene-scam--73098042
Grief turned into a lure: a locked pink phone, hooked on a trotline, held the last tender message of a woman who had been carefully targeted by someone who spent four years studying how loss works. How did a fake Army sergeant turn a Facebook grief group into a ledger of victims, and why was Darlene entry number thirty-one?

In this episode, we tell how Darlene Zeller joined an online group called Valor and After, met a man using the name Norman Erickson, and gradually came to trust him - but what she trusted was a constructed identity that hid a deliberate and patient manipulation. How did the scammer build credibility and what signs were missed until that pink phone appeared on Cutter Fork?

Person: Darlene Zeller
Group: Valor and After
Fake account name: Norman Erickson
Real photo owner: Dennis Okafor
Entry number: 31

- The account was created in January 2019 and its Gmail routed through a server cluster in Lagos.
- The initial message arrived on March 14, 2019, after Darlene had been reading the group’s threads for months.
- Darlene was widowed in 2015 and joined the Facebook group in early 2019, which had roughly 1,200 members.
- Darlene gave thyroid medication to her four-year-old border collie mix, Pepper, at exactly 6:45 a.m. twice daily.
- The pink phone was found hooked onto a steel trotline on Cutter Fork and was the device holding Darlene’s final outbox message.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098042Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:42:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaHooked by a Soldier Who Never Existed: The Darlene Scam Grief turned into a lure: a locked pink phone, hooked on a trotline, held the last tender message of a woman who had been carefully targeted by someone who spent four years studying how loss...
Grief turned into a lure: a locked pink phone, hooked on a trotline, held the last tender message of a woman who had been carefully targeted by someone who spent four years studying how loss works. How did a fake Army sergeant turn a Facebook grief group into a ledger of victims, and why was Darlene entry number thirty-one?

In this episode, we tell how Darlene Zeller joined an online group called Valor and After, met a man using the name Norman Erickson, and gradually came to trust him - but what she trusted was a constructed identity that hid a deliberate and patient manipulation. How did the scammer build credibility and what signs were missed until that pink phone appeared on Cutter Fork?

Person: Darlene Zeller
Group: Valor and After
Fake account name: Norman Erickson
Real photo owner: Dennis Okafor
Entry number: 31

- The account was created in January 2019 and its Gmail routed through a server cluster in Lagos.
- The initial message arrived on March 14, 2019, after Darlene had been reading the group’s threads for months.
- Darlene was widowed in 2015 and joined the Facebook group in early 2019, which had roughly 1,200 members.
- Darlene gave thyroid medication to her four-year-old border collie mix, Pepper, at exactly 6:45 a.m. twice daily.
- The pink phone was found hooked onto a steel trotline on Cutter Fork and was the device holding Darlene’s final outbox message.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1125falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-stole-her-trust-the-framed-photo-that-kept-her-quiet--73098041
A framed photograph left in an empty garage on Larkin Road became a small, impossible clue in a yearlong betrayal that hollowed out Debra Thompson's life; the garage had been vacant for eleven months when county surveyor Heather Young spotted the picture on the third weekend of October, 2019. Who built a fake identity and used it to dismantle a museum professional piece by piece - and why did a single image keep Debra silent?

In this episode, we tell the story of Debra Thompson and the online account registered as Dennis Moore that drew her in, the professional context that made her vulnerable, and the sequence of messages and calls that shifted from technical curiosity to personal entanglement; how did a profile assembled from stolen credentials and a stock photo become the instrument of manipulation?

Person: Debra Thompson
Date: third weekend of October, 2019
Location: empty garage on Larkin Road
Occupation: junior collections coordinator at Arlowe Regional Museum of Natural and Cultural History
Impersonated person: Brian Kessler

- The garage had been vacant for eleven months when Heather Young saw the framed photograph.
- Debra sent her first message to the account registered under the name Dennis Moore at age twenty-two.
- Debra had applied three times to the Arlowe; her third application resulted in hiring as a junior collections coordinator.
- The fake profile’s photograph and professional history belonged to a real consultant named Brian Kessler, who learned of the impersonation only after investigators contacted him.
- By September 2018, Debra and the Dennis Moore account were speaking twice a week by phone, escalating to more personal calls by October 2018.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098041Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:41:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Stole Her Trust: The Framed Photo That Kept Her Quiet A framed photograph left in an empty garage on Larkin Road became a small, impossible clue in a yearlong betrayal that hollowed out Debra Thompson's life; the garage had been vacant...
A framed photograph left in an empty garage on Larkin Road became a small, impossible clue in a yearlong betrayal that hollowed out Debra Thompson's life; the garage had been vacant for eleven months when county surveyor Heather Young spotted the picture on the third weekend of October, 2019. Who built a fake identity and used it to dismantle a museum professional piece by piece - and why did a single image keep Debra silent?

In this episode, we tell the story of Debra Thompson and the online account registered as Dennis Moore that drew her in, the professional context that made her vulnerable, and the sequence of messages and calls that shifted from technical curiosity to personal entanglement; how did a profile assembled from stolen credentials and a stock photo become the instrument of manipulation?

Person: Debra Thompson
Date: third weekend of October, 2019
Location: empty garage on Larkin Road
Occupation: junior collections coordinator at Arlowe Regional Museum of Natural and Cultural History
Impersonated person: Brian Kessler

- The garage had been vacant for eleven months when Heather Young saw the framed photograph.
- Debra sent her first message to the account registered under the name Dennis Moore at age twenty-two.
- Debra had applied three times to the Arlowe; her third application resulted in hiring as a junior collections coordinator.
- The fake profile’s photograph and professional history belonged to a real consultant named Brian Kessler, who learned of the impersonation only after investigators contacted him.
- By September 2018, Debra and the Dennis Moore account were speaking twice a week by phone, escalating to more personal calls by October 2018.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1081falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-rabbit-on-her-fence-how-a-staged-child-saved-a-con-artist--73098039
The quiet of a rural Tennessee morning hid a calculated signal: a twelve-inch pink rabbit with one missing button eye, a laminated card listing a child's name, a blood type, and a fake pediatric network phone number - left on a cedar post at 6:47 a.m. That staged prop became Exhibit Forty-One and a lynchpin in a scheme that stole $22,400; who staged the rabbit and why would anyone plant proof at a stranger’s fence?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events from the first online match to the final courtroom outcome, laying out how a careful woman was drawn into a months-long romance scam and what the rabbit ultimately revealed about the fraud mechanics. Could a stuffed toy be the single piece that unraveled a network of fake profiles and false emergencies?

Person: Donna Edwards
Date: February-August 2019
Location: Calder Ridge Road, rural Tennessee
Case: Exhibit Forty-One in spring 2021 trial
Status: Perpetrator received fourteen years

- The rabbit was found at 6:47 a.m. against a cedar post fence with a laminated card tied to its left ear.
- Donna transferred a total of $22,400 by August 2019 after repeated requests over several months.
- The first money request was $800, sent nine weeks after the HeartlandMatch match on February 9, 2019.
- The fake profile “Travis Cole” claimed to be 41, a long-haul trucker based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a 9-year-old daughter named Lily.
- The woman managing the scam, Frances White, 44, operated 17 active profiles across multiple dating platforms from Bowling Green.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098039Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:41:45 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Rabbit on Her Fence: How a Staged Child Saved a Con Artist The quiet of a rural Tennessee morning hid a calculated signal: a twelve-inch pink rabbit with one missing button eye, a laminated card listing a child's name, a blood type, and a fake...
The quiet of a rural Tennessee morning hid a calculated signal: a twelve-inch pink rabbit with one missing button eye, a laminated card listing a child's name, a blood type, and a fake pediatric network phone number - left on a cedar post at 6:47 a.m. That staged prop became Exhibit Forty-One and a lynchpin in a scheme that stole $22,400; who staged the rabbit and why would anyone plant proof at a stranger’s fence?

In this episode, we follow the timeline of events from the first online match to the final courtroom outcome, laying out how a careful woman was drawn into a months-long romance scam and what the rabbit ultimately revealed about the fraud mechanics. Could a stuffed toy be the single piece that unraveled a network of fake profiles and false emergencies?

Person: Donna Edwards
Date: February-August 2019
Location: Calder Ridge Road, rural Tennessee
Case: Exhibit Forty-One in spring 2021 trial
Status: Perpetrator received fourteen years

- The rabbit was found at 6:47 a.m. against a cedar post fence with a laminated card tied to its left ear.
- Donna transferred a total of $22,400 by August 2019 after repeated requests over several months.
- The first money request was $800, sent nine weeks after the HeartlandMatch match on February 9, 2019.
- The fake profile “Travis Cole” claimed to be 41, a long-haul trucker based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a 9-year-old daughter named Lily.
- The woman managing the scam, Frances White, 44, operated 17 active profiles across multiple dating platforms from Bowling Green.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1215falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-posed-as-a-roman-food-writer-she-lost-her-life-s-work--73098037
There is a quiet, precise danger in charm: a stranger posing as a Roman food writer spun months of daily messages that led to the destruction of a food blogger’s life's work - but why did the fraud depend on beautiful, exact prose? Who was the man actually posing as Roy Green, and what did he do with the papers burned in a park storm drain?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first comment on a Rome post to the photograph that revealed a man destroying papers in Elmhurst Park, following the relationships and small choices that let the scheme unfold. What was in those papers, and how did everyday trust in good writing become the instrument of loss?

Person: Megan Casey
Person: James York
Person: Gordon Sullivan
Date: August 11, 2019
Location: Elmhurst Park, Roanoke, Virginia

- Megan Casey had written the food blog Salted & Found for twenty years and reached 150,000 readers a month.
- On January 2019 a commenter identifying as Roy Green began daily correspondence with Megan, sometimes twice daily through February 2019.
- James York photographed a man in a blue-gray utility vest feeding rubber-banded papers into a storm drain at 7:40 AM on August 11, 2019.
- Megan’s Rome anniversary post that drew the comment included a passage Megan later called “the best thing she had read about ragù in years.”
- Gordon Sullivan, a 58-year-old retired software auditor who lived three houses away, noticed irregularities in how original writing had been assembled.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098037Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:41:33 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Posed as a Roman Food Writer - She Lost Her Life's Work There is a quiet, precise danger in charm: a stranger posing as a Roman food writer spun months of daily messages that led to the destruction of a food blogger’s life's work - but why did...
There is a quiet, precise danger in charm: a stranger posing as a Roman food writer spun months of daily messages that led to the destruction of a food blogger’s life's work - but why did the fraud depend on beautiful, exact prose? Who was the man actually posing as Roy Green, and what did he do with the papers burned in a park storm drain?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first comment on a Rome post to the photograph that revealed a man destroying papers in Elmhurst Park, following the relationships and small choices that let the scheme unfold. What was in those papers, and how did everyday trust in good writing become the instrument of loss?

Person: Megan Casey
Person: James York
Person: Gordon Sullivan
Date: August 11, 2019
Location: Elmhurst Park, Roanoke, Virginia

- Megan Casey had written the food blog Salted & Found for twenty years and reached 150,000 readers a month.
- On January 2019 a commenter identifying as Roy Green began daily correspondence with Megan, sometimes twice daily through February 2019.
- James York photographed a man in a blue-gray utility vest feeding rubber-banded papers into a storm drain at 7:40 AM on August 11, 2019.
- Megan’s Rome anniversary post that drew the comment included a passage Megan later called “the best thing she had read about ragù in years.”
- Gordon Sullivan, a 58-year-old retired software auditor who lived three houses away, noticed irregularities in how original writing had been assembled.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1221falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-told-her-he-was-coast-guard-she-lost-everything-then-found-proof--73098036
Fear and cold discovery: a film photograph with a handwritten note and a set of coordinates was taped to a condominium wall, and it led to proof that someone had been watching a woman’s every morning for months-how did a stranger know the private gesture she never told anyone? What else did the printed photo and those coordinates reveal about the man who claimed to be a Coast Guard officer?

In this episode, we trace the timeline from the first online message about a sea turtle to the voice calls, the film photograph discovered in July, and the phone timestamps that documented months of surveillance; how did a fabricated profile, stolen image, and recorded details convince her it was real?

Person: Karen Underwood
Location: Waverly Lighthouse, Pelican Shoals, Georgia
Date: Photograph found on a Tuesday morning in July
Case: Profile claimed name Douglas Hunter, used photo of Brian Colwell
Event: Photographs of Karen’s boardwalk route began in November

- The photograph was a film print with a bright white border, taped at eye level beside the service entrance to unit four-C of Waverly Point condominiums.
- Gary Hansen was fourteen and three weeks into his paper route when he found the photograph.
- The back of the photo had geographic coordinates and the message: "she needs to know it wasn't real."
- The fake profile claimed nine years of U.S. Coast Guard service and a daughter named Lily; the profile photo was actually of Brian Colwell from Pensacola.
- Timestamps recovered later show photographs of the Waverly boardwalk path beginning in November, two months after Karen had established her routine.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098036Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:41:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Told Her He Was Coast Guard - She Lost Everything, Then Found Proof Fear and cold discovery: a film photograph with a handwritten note and a set of coordinates was taped to a condominium wall, and it led to proof that someone had been watching a...
Fear and cold discovery: a film photograph with a handwritten note and a set of coordinates was taped to a condominium wall, and it led to proof that someone had been watching a woman’s every morning for months-how did a stranger know the private gesture she never told anyone? What else did the printed photo and those coordinates reveal about the man who claimed to be a Coast Guard officer?

In this episode, we trace the timeline from the first online message about a sea turtle to the voice calls, the film photograph discovered in July, and the phone timestamps that documented months of surveillance; how did a fabricated profile, stolen image, and recorded details convince her it was real?

Person: Karen Underwood
Location: Waverly Lighthouse, Pelican Shoals, Georgia
Date: Photograph found on a Tuesday morning in July
Case: Profile claimed name Douglas Hunter, used photo of Brian Colwell
Event: Photographs of Karen’s boardwalk route began in November

- The photograph was a film print with a bright white border, taped at eye level beside the service entrance to unit four-C of Waverly Point condominiums.
- Gary Hansen was fourteen and three weeks into his paper route when he found the photograph.
- The back of the photo had geographic coordinates and the message: "she needs to know it wasn't real."
- The fake profile claimed nine years of U.S. Coast Guard service and a daughter named Lily; the profile photo was actually of Brian Colwell from Pensacola.
- Timestamps recovered later show photographs of the Waverly boardwalk path beginning in November, two months after Karen had established her routine.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1171falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-stood-in-her-backyard-the-therapist-who-wasn-t-real--73098034
A woman found a laptop in a ditch with a single Post-it: "He's not who he says he is." That photograph became page one of a 430-page file about a fake therapist who had messaged, befriended, and actually watched his target - but who was he really and how did he get so close?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the June 14, 2022 discovery of the laptop back to the first online messages in March and the earlier in-person work on the house, tracing how a fabricated profile built intimacy and access. How did a series of ordinary details-gutter work, profile photos, friendly messages-become enough to convince Michelle Barnes he was real?

Person: Michelle Barnes
Date: June 14, 2022
Location: Ridgecrest Drive, Delvane
Case: 430-page file
Event: Laptop with Post-it found in drainage ditch

- The laptop was found upright in the gravel of a drainage ditch on June 14, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
- The single Post-it inside the laptop lid read: "He's not who he says he is." written in blue ballpoint.
- Michelle Barnes joined the New Chapter Forward support group in March 2022 and received private messages from "Todd Anderson" three weeks later.
- Todd Anderson's profile included four photographs featuring the same man's face and claimed details: mid-fifties, divorced eight years, a daughter, therapist in Columbus, Ohio.
- Dennis Pryor had worked at Michelle's house in fall 2020 doing gutter work and exterior painting over three days.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098034Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:41:09 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Stood in Her Backyard: The Therapist Who Wasn't Real A woman found a laptop in a ditch with a single Post-it: "He's not who he says he is." That photograph became page one of a 430-page file about a fake therapist who had messaged, befriended,...
A woman found a laptop in a ditch with a single Post-it: "He's not who he says he is." That photograph became page one of a 430-page file about a fake therapist who had messaged, befriended, and actually watched his target - but who was he really and how did he get so close?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the June 14, 2022 discovery of the laptop back to the first online messages in March and the earlier in-person work on the house, tracing how a fabricated profile built intimacy and access. How did a series of ordinary details-gutter work, profile photos, friendly messages-become enough to convince Michelle Barnes he was real?

Person: Michelle Barnes
Date: June 14, 2022
Location: Ridgecrest Drive, Delvane
Case: 430-page file
Event: Laptop with Post-it found in drainage ditch

- The laptop was found upright in the gravel of a drainage ditch on June 14, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
- The single Post-it inside the laptop lid read: "He's not who he says he is." written in blue ballpoint.
- Michelle Barnes joined the New Chapter Forward support group in March 2022 and received private messages from "Todd Anderson" three weeks later.
- Todd Anderson's profile included four photographs featuring the same man's face and claimed details: mid-fifties, divorced eight years, a daughter, therapist in Columbus, Ohio.
- Dennis Pryor had worked at Michelle's house in fall 2020 doing gutter work and exterior painting over three days.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1216falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-loved-her-books-then-took-22-000-and-vanished--73098032
Heart-sinking and intimate: a twelve-page, blue-ink letter signed only "Kenneth" arrives on a porch, and a woman loses $22,000 to a man she never met. Who was Kenneth, how did a closed farm stand on Route 250 help unravel the scheme, and what made Julie Myers believe a stranger enough to send him thousands?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from May 2019 back through Julie's first contacts with an online rare-book account, the development of an emotional bond, the money transfers and the small detail that cracked the story open. What connection between a library, a storage unit and a roadside farm stand finally led investigators to a man in Augusta County?

Person: Julie Myers
Date: May 14, 2019
Amount: $22,000
Location: Sycamore Trace, Dunmore, Virginia
Case: Kenneth Hughes / KHughes_Rare

- The letter left on Julie's porch was twelve pages, both sides, written in blue ink and sealed in a plastic sleeve.
- Julie began corresponding with the account KHughes_Rare in February 2018 and moved from forum posts to direct messages, email, then phone calls by August 2018.
- Julie was 32 years old in spring 2018 when she inherited her mother's house and library and started cataloging the collection.
- In late March 2019 Kenneth reported being stranded on Route 250 east of Charlottesville and mentioned a farm stand opposite the road.
- Investigators eventually located a man sitting in a storage unit in Augusta County connected to the scheme.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098032Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:40:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Loved Her Books - Then Took $22,000 and Vanished Heart-sinking and intimate: a twelve-page, blue-ink letter signed only "Kenneth" arrives on a porch, and a woman loses $22,000 to a man she never met. Who was Kenneth, how did a closed...
Heart-sinking and intimate: a twelve-page, blue-ink letter signed only "Kenneth" arrives on a porch, and a woman loses $22,000 to a man she never met. Who was Kenneth, how did a closed farm stand on Route 250 help unravel the scheme, and what made Julie Myers believe a stranger enough to send him thousands?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from May 2019 back through Julie's first contacts with an online rare-book account, the development of an emotional bond, the money transfers and the small detail that cracked the story open. What connection between a library, a storage unit and a roadside farm stand finally led investigators to a man in Augusta County?

Person: Julie Myers
Date: May 14, 2019
Amount: $22,000
Location: Sycamore Trace, Dunmore, Virginia
Case: Kenneth Hughes / KHughes_Rare

- The letter left on Julie's porch was twelve pages, both sides, written in blue ink and sealed in a plastic sleeve.
- Julie began corresponding with the account KHughes_Rare in February 2018 and moved from forum posts to direct messages, email, then phone calls by August 2018.
- Julie was 32 years old in spring 2018 when she inherited her mother's house and library and started cataloging the collection.
- In late March 2019 Kenneth reported being stranded on Route 250 east of Charlottesville and mentioned a farm stand opposite the road.
- Investigators eventually located a man sitting in a storage unit in Augusta County connected to the scheme.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1003falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/god-loves-earl-how-a-fake-missionary-emptied-his-life-savings--73098028
Fear that your good faith could be weaponized: a photo in a plastic bag led investigators to uncover a faith-based romance that turned into a meticulous financial scam, and one man lost everything to carefully dated requests. How did a stranger on a faith platform convince a diligent 53-year-old to send steady donations for fourteen months?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the day a photo was found on Sycamore Trail through the months Earl Price sent money to a supposed mission in Honduras. We recount the messages, the spreadsheet of donations, and the moment friends realized something was wrong - and ask how identity and grief were used to build trust.

Person: Earl Price
Date: April 9, 2019
Location: Sycamore Trail, Bredenton, Ohio
Occupation: Calibration technician at Halloran Precision Components
Platform: PurposeMatch

- Earl Price was 53 years old and had lived in the same duplex on Comstock Lane for eleven years.
- The first requested donation was $400 in February 2018 for roof materials.
- Earl kept a manila folder spreadsheet recording each donation beginning February 2018, with dates, amounts, and notes.
- Earl regularly attended Millbrook Community Fellowship and sat three rows from the back on the left.
- Friends noticed his distraction at trivia in March 2019, after fourteen months of sending money.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098028Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:40:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaGod Loves Earl: How a Fake Missionary Emptied His Life Savings Fear that your good faith could be weaponized: a photo in a plastic bag led investigators to uncover a faith-based romance that turned into a meticulous financial scam, and one man lost...
Fear that your good faith could be weaponized: a photo in a plastic bag led investigators to uncover a faith-based romance that turned into a meticulous financial scam, and one man lost everything to carefully dated requests. How did a stranger on a faith platform convince a diligent 53-year-old to send steady donations for fourteen months?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the day a photo was found on Sycamore Trail through the months Earl Price sent money to a supposed mission in Honduras. We recount the messages, the spreadsheet of donations, and the moment friends realized something was wrong - and ask how identity and grief were used to build trust.

Person: Earl Price
Date: April 9, 2019
Location: Sycamore Trail, Bredenton, Ohio
Occupation: Calibration technician at Halloran Precision Components
Platform: PurposeMatch

- Earl Price was 53 years old and had lived in the same duplex on Comstock Lane for eleven years.
- The first requested donation was $400 in February 2018 for roof materials.
- Earl kept a manila folder spreadsheet recording each donation beginning February 2018, with dates, amounts, and notes.
- Earl regularly attended Millbrook Community Fellowship and sat three rows from the back on the left.
- Friends noticed his distraction at trivia in March 2019, after fourteen months of sending money.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1213falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-roses-on-whitmore-lane-how-they-stole-my-heart-and-8-000--73098027
Cold roses left against a gas meter on a thirty-one degree March morning were the first clue that something engineered and intimate was unfolding on Whitmore Lane; why did freshly cut long-stemmed red roses appear at an empty rental and who arranged the trust that followed? The suspicion: a romance built to extract $8,000 - but who constructed the face and voice that convinced a careful man to send it?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led Gordon Reynolds from casual coffees to transfers totaling thousands, and how a borrowed identity and staged intimacy moved him to act; what part did the recorded voice memo, the river walk, and the roses play in persuading him?

Person: Gordon Reynolds
Date: March 9, 2019
Location: Whitmore Lane, Columbus, Ohio
Amount: $8,000
Introducer: Dave Henning

- The roses were found pressed against the gas meter of a rental property that had been empty for six weeks.
- The morning temperature was thirty-one degrees Fahrenheit and the roses' water had not frozen, indicating they were placed recently.
- Gordon Reynolds transferred an initial $6,000 after a Sunday walk and a phone call about a stalled real estate deal.
- Ten days after the first transfer, a second request arrived asking for $4,500.
- The man Gordon met used the name Gregory Sanders but the photograph belonged to Wade Purcell taken from a 2016 travel blogger's Instagram.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098027Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:40:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Roses on Whitmore Lane: How They Stole My Heart and $8,000 Cold roses left against a gas meter on a thirty-one degree March morning were the first clue that something engineered and intimate was unfolding on Whitmore Lane; why did freshly cut...
Cold roses left against a gas meter on a thirty-one degree March morning were the first clue that something engineered and intimate was unfolding on Whitmore Lane; why did freshly cut long-stemmed red roses appear at an empty rental and who arranged the trust that followed? The suspicion: a romance built to extract $8,000 - but who constructed the face and voice that convinced a careful man to send it?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led Gordon Reynolds from casual coffees to transfers totaling thousands, and how a borrowed identity and staged intimacy moved him to act; what part did the recorded voice memo, the river walk, and the roses play in persuading him?

Person: Gordon Reynolds
Date: March 9, 2019
Location: Whitmore Lane, Columbus, Ohio
Amount: $8,000
Introducer: Dave Henning

- The roses were found pressed against the gas meter of a rental property that had been empty for six weeks.
- The morning temperature was thirty-one degrees Fahrenheit and the roses' water had not frozen, indicating they were placed recently.
- Gordon Reynolds transferred an initial $6,000 after a Sunday walk and a phone call about a stalled real estate deal.
- Ten days after the first transfer, a second request arrived asking for $4,500.
- The man Gordon met used the name Gregory Sanders but the photograph belonged to Wade Purcell taken from a 2016 travel blogger's Instagram.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1223falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ring-from-lagos-how-a-stolen-face-cost-her-forty-one-thousand-dollars--73098026
A padded envelope arrived at a church in Denton, Ohio on February ninth, postmarked from Lagos with a return address on a Houston street that did not exist. Inside was a ring in a velvet pouch, sent by a man Janet Lane had never met but believed she was about to marry. How did a photograph stolen from a Brazilian fitness influencer become the face of a romance that would drain her savings, her personal loan, and six weeks of silence from her mother?

In this episode, we trace Janet Lane's descent from a wellness app questionnaire to forty-one thousand dollars sent across three continents, examining the padded envelope that arrived before the financial crisis began, the recorded confession from a cellmate that broke the case open, and the DNA match that connected Dale Osei to an unsolved attack four years earlier.

Person: Janet Lane
Location: Denton, Ohio
Perpetrator: Dale Osei, age 31, originally from Ghana
Amount stolen: $41,000
Event: Romance fraud via Cornerstone Health app, February to March 2019
Conviction: Four counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, October 2019

- Janet downloaded Cornerstone Health in November 2018 and was matched with a wellness coach named Dale Wells, whose profile used a stolen photograph of Marco Alves, a Brazilian fitness influencer.
- The first crisis call came on February 14, 2019, when Dale Wells claimed his passport and laptop were stolen in Lisbon and requested eighteen hundred dollars.
- A padded envelope from Lagos arrived on February 9, 2019, containing a ring and a return address on a Houston street that does not exist; Wade Riley, the retired church volunteer who received it, noticed the address was wrong but said nothing.
- Between mid-February and late March 2019, Janet transferred forty-one thousand dollars across four separate bank accounts spanning three continents while ignoring her mother Beverly's calls for six weeks.
- Dale Osei was arrested in April 2019 over a rent dispute, spent six days in a shared cell with Henry Pryor, confessed the details of his operation, and received a seven-year sentence in October 2019 with no restitution order recorded.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098026Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:40:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe ring from Lagos: how a stolen face cost her forty-one thousand dollars A padded envelope arrived at a church in Denton, Ohio on February ninth, postmarked from Lagos with a return address on a Houston street that did not exist. Inside was a...
A padded envelope arrived at a church in Denton, Ohio on February ninth, postmarked from Lagos with a return address on a Houston street that did not exist. Inside was a ring in a velvet pouch, sent by a man Janet Lane had never met but believed she was about to marry. How did a photograph stolen from a Brazilian fitness influencer become the face of a romance that would drain her savings, her personal loan, and six weeks of silence from her mother?

In this episode, we trace Janet Lane's descent from a wellness app questionnaire to forty-one thousand dollars sent across three continents, examining the padded envelope that arrived before the financial crisis began, the recorded confession from a cellmate that broke the case open, and the DNA match that connected Dale Osei to an unsolved attack four years earlier.

Person: Janet Lane
Location: Denton, Ohio
Perpetrator: Dale Osei, age 31, originally from Ghana
Amount stolen: $41,000
Event: Romance fraud via Cornerstone Health app, February to March 2019
Conviction: Four counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, October 2019

- Janet downloaded Cornerstone Health in November 2018 and was matched with a wellness coach named Dale Wells, whose profile used a stolen photograph of Marco Alves, a Brazilian fitness influencer.
- The first crisis call came on February 14, 2019, when Dale Wells claimed his passport and laptop were stolen in Lisbon and requested eighteen hundred dollars.
- A padded envelope from Lagos arrived on February 9, 2019, containing a ring and a return address on a Houston street that does not exist; Wade Riley, the retired church volunteer who received it, noticed the address was wrong but said nothing.
- Between mid-February and late March 2019, Janet transferred forty-one thousand dollars across four separate bank accounts spanning three continents while ignoring her mother Beverly's calls for six weeks.
- Dale Osei was arrested in April 2019 over a rent dispute, spent six days in a shared cell with Henry Pryor, confessed the details of his operation, and received a seven-year sentence in October 2019 with no restitution order recorded.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1178falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/her-owner-angela-casey-looked-where-the-dog-was-looking--73098024
Fear and fascination collide: a sealed Valentine’s card wedged four feet up in a dead juniper led to a theft of $263,000 and a fabricated lover - but how did a man track certificate of deposit dates to steal from a grieving widow? What was hidden in that stamped envelope addressed to “Amy”?

In this episode, we follow the discovery that started everything and the steps investigators took to connect a single physical card to a pattern of timed withdrawals and identity theft, asking how someone engineered trust from a distance and targeted financial milestones to take everything.

Date: January 9, 2019
Person: Angela Casey
Person: Amy Sawyer
Person: Kimberly Baker
Amount: $263,000

- The sealed, stamped envelope was wedged four feet up in a dead juniper on the Pinebluff Nature Loop.
- The card inside was addressed to “Amy” and signed “- R.” with the message “I will be with you soon, my love.”
- Amy’s first wire transfer of $41,000 left eleven days after a certificate of deposit matured in July 2017.
- The transfers continued with amounts including $38,000 in October and repeated timing within eleven days of CD maturity through 2018.
- The profile photo used by “Russell O’Brien” belonged to Howard Lind, a 61-year-old retired engineer who had not met Amy.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098024Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:40:09 +0000Creator at ObomediaHer owner, Angela Casey, looked where the dog was looking Fear and fascination collide: a sealed Valentine’s card wedged four feet up in a dead juniper led to a theft of $263,000 and a fabricated lover - but how did a man track certificate of...
Fear and fascination collide: a sealed Valentine’s card wedged four feet up in a dead juniper led to a theft of $263,000 and a fabricated lover - but how did a man track certificate of deposit dates to steal from a grieving widow? What was hidden in that stamped envelope addressed to “Amy”?

In this episode, we follow the discovery that started everything and the steps investigators took to connect a single physical card to a pattern of timed withdrawals and identity theft, asking how someone engineered trust from a distance and targeted financial milestones to take everything.

Date: January 9, 2019
Person: Angela Casey
Person: Amy Sawyer
Person: Kimberly Baker
Amount: $263,000

- The sealed, stamped envelope was wedged four feet up in a dead juniper on the Pinebluff Nature Loop.
- The card inside was addressed to “Amy” and signed “- R.” with the message “I will be with you soon, my love.”
- Amy’s first wire transfer of $41,000 left eleven days after a certificate of deposit matured in July 2017.
- The transfers continued with amounts including $38,000 in October and repeated timing within eleven days of CD maturity through 2018.
- The profile photo used by “Russell O’Brien” belonged to Howard Lind, a 61-year-old retired engineer who had not met Amy.

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A sealed freezer bag loops to a trotline in gray December light, a Dell laptop dry inside, an index card folded against the keys: She was real to me. That is not nothing. Jennifer Lewis had just been arrested for defrauding a twenty-two-year-old chess player out of eighteen hundred dollars using a stolen face and a fabricated crisis. So why did she return to the creek where her victim had once sent a photograph, seal her equipment in plastic, and leave it where a fisherman would certainly find it?

In this episode, we trace the six-week hunt that built Miriam Voss from stolen research, the carefully structured financial asks that arrived after warmth rather than before, and the single detail in small talk-a regional cable broadcast mentioned by someone claiming to live eight hundred miles away-that unraveled everything. We follow Detective Roy Vance's evidence laid on a table, Lewis's deflection and silence, and the inexplicable decision to preserve rather than destroy. But the question that survives the guilty plea is whether the note represents a final manipulation or the only honest moment in four months of contact.

Person: Kelly Pruitt
Perpetrator: Jennifer Lewis
Location: Brackett, Indiana; Carmel, Indiana; Packer Creek
Amount: Eighteen hundred dollars
Event: Laptop discovery at Packer Creek, December eleventh
Date: September to December, same year

- Kelly Pruitt, age twenty-two, worked as a claims processor at an insurance adjuster's office in Brackett, Indiana.
- Jennifer Lewis studied Kelly's public game history on Boardroom for six weeks before sending a message as Miriam Voss on a harvested LinkedIn photo of Amber Coles, a dental hygienist in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Kelly sent four hundred dollars on November nineteenth for a fake rental car deposit and fourteen hundred dollars on December first for a fake eviction notice.
- Detective Roy Vance identified Lewis using Zelle account metadata, Signal phone records, and a regional cable broadcast mention in an Indiana-Purdue game message that revealed Cleveland residence was false.
- Lewis was arrested December ninth, drove to Packer Creek the night of December eighth, sealed a Dell laptop in a freezer bag with copper wire and an index card reading She was real to me. That is not nothing.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098022Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:39:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe laptop at Packer Creek: what Jennifer Lewis meant to say A sealed freezer bag loops to a trotline in gray December light, a Dell laptop dry inside, an index card folded against the keys: She was real to me. That is not nothing. Jennifer Lewis...
A sealed freezer bag loops to a trotline in gray December light, a Dell laptop dry inside, an index card folded against the keys: She was real to me. That is not nothing. Jennifer Lewis had just been arrested for defrauding a twenty-two-year-old chess player out of eighteen hundred dollars using a stolen face and a fabricated crisis. So why did she return to the creek where her victim had once sent a photograph, seal her equipment in plastic, and leave it where a fisherman would certainly find it?

In this episode, we trace the six-week hunt that built Miriam Voss from stolen research, the carefully structured financial asks that arrived after warmth rather than before, and the single detail in small talk-a regional cable broadcast mentioned by someone claiming to live eight hundred miles away-that unraveled everything. We follow Detective Roy Vance's evidence laid on a table, Lewis's deflection and silence, and the inexplicable decision to preserve rather than destroy. But the question that survives the guilty plea is whether the note represents a final manipulation or the only honest moment in four months of contact.

Person: Kelly Pruitt
Perpetrator: Jennifer Lewis
Location: Brackett, Indiana; Carmel, Indiana; Packer Creek
Amount: Eighteen hundred dollars
Event: Laptop discovery at Packer Creek, December eleventh
Date: September to December, same year

- Kelly Pruitt, age twenty-two, worked as a claims processor at an insurance adjuster's office in Brackett, Indiana.
- Jennifer Lewis studied Kelly's public game history on Boardroom for six weeks before sending a message as Miriam Voss on a harvested LinkedIn photo of Amber Coles, a dental hygienist in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Kelly sent four hundred dollars on November nineteenth for a fake rental car deposit and fourteen hundred dollars on December first for a fake eviction notice.
- Detective Roy Vance identified Lewis using Zelle account metadata, Signal phone records, and a regional cable broadcast mention in an Indiana-Purdue game message that revealed Cleveland residence was false.
- Lewis was arrested December ninth, drove to Packer Creek the night of December eighth, sealed a Dell laptop in a freezer bag with copper wire and an index card reading She was real to me. That is not nothing.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1076falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-under-the-oak-how-jean-documented-her-own-deception--73098021
In this episode, we follow Jean's journey from a cancer support group on Facebook to 112 thousand dollars sent to UK bank accounts, through Henry Brock's reverse image search revealing the stolen identity of Craig Decker, and into the six-week period when Jean built her case on a kitchen table in Pennsylvania. We trace the moment when a retired mail carrier's four printed pages, a co-administrator's metadata report, and an insurance examiner's complaint converged-all while an oak tree held the most consequential evidence none of them knew existed.

Person: Jean Keller
Perpetrator: Ronald Simmons (constructed identity)
Actual identity: Craig Decker (Portland engineer, photo stolen)
Amount stolen: $112,000
Location: Elderton, Pennsylvania
Event: Romance fraud through fake cancer support group

- Jean Keller was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer two years before joining the Beyond the Bell Facebook group in January.
- The perpetrator used Craig Decker's photograph from a LinkedIn profile; Decker was a licensed civil engineer in Portland, Oregon, entirely unaware his image was being used.
- The Beyond the Bell group was created twenty-two months before Jean joined, not four years as "Ronald Simmons" claimed.
- Between April and October, Jean wired eight thousand dollars, six thousand dollars, four thousand dollars, and nine thousand dollars across multiple transfers to UK bank accounts.
- Thomas Stein, an Armstrong County surveyor walking a disputed property line on Alderton Pike in November, found the sealed envelope containing Jean's forty-three-page dossier buried under an oak tree's roots.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098021Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:39:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe envelope under the oak: how Jean documented her own deception In this episode, we follow Jean's journey from a cancer support group on Facebook to 112 thousand dollars sent to UK bank accounts, through Henry Brock's reverse image search...
In this episode, we follow Jean's journey from a cancer support group on Facebook to 112 thousand dollars sent to UK bank accounts, through Henry Brock's reverse image search revealing the stolen identity of Craig Decker, and into the six-week period when Jean built her case on a kitchen table in Pennsylvania. We trace the moment when a retired mail carrier's four printed pages, a co-administrator's metadata report, and an insurance examiner's complaint converged-all while an oak tree held the most consequential evidence none of them knew existed.

Person: Jean Keller
Perpetrator: Ronald Simmons (constructed identity)
Actual identity: Craig Decker (Portland engineer, photo stolen)
Amount stolen: $112,000
Location: Elderton, Pennsylvania
Event: Romance fraud through fake cancer support group

- Jean Keller was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer two years before joining the Beyond the Bell Facebook group in January.
- The perpetrator used Craig Decker's photograph from a LinkedIn profile; Decker was a licensed civil engineer in Portland, Oregon, entirely unaware his image was being used.
- The Beyond the Bell group was created twenty-two months before Jean joined, not four years as "Ronald Simmons" claimed.
- Between April and October, Jean wired eight thousand dollars, six thousand dollars, four thousand dollars, and nine thousand dollars across multiple transfers to UK bank accounts.
- Thomas Stein, an Armstrong County surveyor walking a disputed property line on Alderton Pike in November, found the sealed envelope containing Jean's forty-three-page dossier buried under an oak tree's roots.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1053falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-patient-interval-how-forty-one-letters-built-a-six-year-fraud--73098019
A septic inspector found forty-one envelopes under a house in Portsmith, Ohio in October 2022, each one postmarked from Greece and addressed in careful handwriting. But the woman who hid them couldn't throw them away-and investigators discovered she had been sending wire transfers to a man who didn't exist. How did Derek Osei maintain the same letter-writing rhythm for twenty-seven months without breaking pattern, and what did the acoustic signature in two voice recordings reveal about where he really was?

In this episode, we trace how a system built on perfectly timed letters and fabricated customs documents extracted sixty-three thousand dollars from Marcia Bell, a widow who volunteered at a food pantry and believed she was helping a civil engineer in a Greek refugee camp. We examine the HVAC hum embedded in voice recordings, the IP address that traced back to Atlanta, and the plagiarized grief copied from a published essay and mailed as personal memory.

Person: Marcia Bell
Perpetrator: Derek Osei, age 39
Location: Portsmith, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia; Thessaloniki, Greece
Amount stolen: $63,000
Event: Letters discovered October 2022; arrest March 2023; trial January 2024
Program: Open Letter Exchange

- Marcia Bell, age 62, lived alone in Portsmith after her husband Dennis died in spring 2016; she worked part-time in accounting and volunteered at the food pantry every Tuesday and Friday for nearly five years without missing a shift.
- Scott Crawford's first letter arrived in February 2020, postmarked from a transit camp near Thessaloniki; correspondence continued every fourteen to twenty-two days for twenty-seven months until September 2022.
- Derek Osei, a thirty-nine-year-old dual Ghanaian-American citizen with a prior fraud conviction in Florida from 2015, applied for a rental property in Marcia's name from an Atlanta IP address while she paid monthly rent on a house she never entered.
- Two of seven voice recordings contained a low-frequency HVAC hum matching southeastern United States commercial air conditioning systems, appearing in call four and call six separated by several months, proving Osei was in Atlanta not Greece.
- Osei's notebook contained forty-two entries documenting at least eleven victims across six years; he received a nine-year federal prison sentence in January 2024 on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, with appeal denied in spring 2027.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098019Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:39:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe patient interval: how forty-one letters built a six-year fraud A septic inspector found forty-one envelopes under a house in Portsmith, Ohio in October 2022, each one postmarked from Greece and addressed in careful handwriting. But the woman...
A septic inspector found forty-one envelopes under a house in Portsmith, Ohio in October 2022, each one postmarked from Greece and addressed in careful handwriting. But the woman who hid them couldn't throw them away-and investigators discovered she had been sending wire transfers to a man who didn't exist. How did Derek Osei maintain the same letter-writing rhythm for twenty-seven months without breaking pattern, and what did the acoustic signature in two voice recordings reveal about where he really was?

In this episode, we trace how a system built on perfectly timed letters and fabricated customs documents extracted sixty-three thousand dollars from Marcia Bell, a widow who volunteered at a food pantry and believed she was helping a civil engineer in a Greek refugee camp. We examine the HVAC hum embedded in voice recordings, the IP address that traced back to Atlanta, and the plagiarized grief copied from a published essay and mailed as personal memory.

Person: Marcia Bell
Perpetrator: Derek Osei, age 39
Location: Portsmith, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia; Thessaloniki, Greece
Amount stolen: $63,000
Event: Letters discovered October 2022; arrest March 2023; trial January 2024
Program: Open Letter Exchange

- Marcia Bell, age 62, lived alone in Portsmith after her husband Dennis died in spring 2016; she worked part-time in accounting and volunteered at the food pantry every Tuesday and Friday for nearly five years without missing a shift.
- Scott Crawford's first letter arrived in February 2020, postmarked from a transit camp near Thessaloniki; correspondence continued every fourteen to twenty-two days for twenty-seven months until September 2022.
- Derek Osei, a thirty-nine-year-old dual Ghanaian-American citizen with a prior fraud conviction in Florida from 2015, applied for a rental property in Marcia's name from an Atlanta IP address while she paid monthly rent on a house she never entered.
- Two of seven voice recordings contained a low-frequency HVAC hum matching southeastern United States commercial air conditioning systems, appearing in call four and call six separated by several months, proving Osei was in Atlanta not Greece.
- Osei's notebook contained forty-two entries documenting at least eleven victims across six years; he received a nine-year federal prison sentence in January 2024 on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, with appeal denied in spring 2027.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1096falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-postcard-from-a-man-who-never-existed--73098016
In this episode, we follow Marilyn Duncan from her consistent life in Orviston, Indiana, through four months of carefully engineered emotional manipulation by a man named Carl White, to the moment a reverse image search took less than three minutes to collapse the entire fiction. We explore the whiteboards that tracked relationship timelines, the co-signer variant designed specifically for her financial caution, and the mystery of how a postcard with her own words printed on it arrived eleven days after Carl Gould's arrest.

Person: Marilyn Duncan
Perpetrator: Carl Gould, age 39
Location: Haskett Avenue, Bridgeport, Ohio; Orviston, Indiana
Amount stolen: $42,000 (from Evelyn Marsh)
Event: Postcard arrival, eleven days after Gould's arrest
Platform: ReachBoard professional networking site

- Marilyn joined ReachBoard in June and was contacted within one week by a user named Carl White claiming to be a 44-year-old deaf architect from Portland, Oregon.
- Carl White's photograph belonged to Owen Pressley, a licensed architect from Asheville, North Carolina, who had been dead for approximately two years.
- The operation at Haskett Avenue maintained detailed relationship timelines on whiteboards tracking the pace of emotional development and optimal windows for financial requests.
- A postcard arrived at the Hendricks County Sheriff's Office addressed to Marilyn at her apartment with four lines from a Pablo Neruda poem she had quoted privately to Carl White in July.
- Evelyn Marsh, a 63-year-old retired schoolteacher from Akron, wired $42,000 in six installments over seven months after being managed by the same operation using an identical profile architecture.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098016Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:39:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe postcard from a man who never existed In this episode, we follow Marilyn Duncan from her consistent life in Orviston, Indiana, through four months of carefully engineered emotional manipulation by a man named Carl White, to the moment a reverse...
In this episode, we follow Marilyn Duncan from her consistent life in Orviston, Indiana, through four months of carefully engineered emotional manipulation by a man named Carl White, to the moment a reverse image search took less than three minutes to collapse the entire fiction. We explore the whiteboards that tracked relationship timelines, the co-signer variant designed specifically for her financial caution, and the mystery of how a postcard with her own words printed on it arrived eleven days after Carl Gould's arrest.

Person: Marilyn Duncan
Perpetrator: Carl Gould, age 39
Location: Haskett Avenue, Bridgeport, Ohio; Orviston, Indiana
Amount stolen: $42,000 (from Evelyn Marsh)
Event: Postcard arrival, eleven days after Gould's arrest
Platform: ReachBoard professional networking site

- Marilyn joined ReachBoard in June and was contacted within one week by a user named Carl White claiming to be a 44-year-old deaf architect from Portland, Oregon.
- Carl White's photograph belonged to Owen Pressley, a licensed architect from Asheville, North Carolina, who had been dead for approximately two years.
- The operation at Haskett Avenue maintained detailed relationship timelines on whiteboards tracking the pace of emotional development and optimal windows for financial requests.
- A postcard arrived at the Hendricks County Sheriff's Office addressed to Marilyn at her apartment with four lines from a Pablo Neruda poem she had quoted privately to Carl White in July.
- Evelyn Marsh, a 63-year-old retired schoolteacher from Akron, wired $42,000 in six installments over seven months after being managed by the same operation using an identical profile architecture.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1171falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-newspaper-what-troy-porter-couldn-t-stop-himself-from-doing--73098015
Four uncollected papers lay on Pamela Taylor's porch on August 7, 2022, but one placed there after 2 a.m. was bone dry while the others held the weight of dew. That pristine newspaper, dated August 4th, was left by the man who had just stolen $22,000 from her across six carefully orchestrated wire transfers-a man who drove 210 miles in the dark to place it there, then drove back, leaving behind the one piece of evidence that would eventually lead detectives to his door.

In this episode, we trace how Troy Porter assembled a fictional civil engineer named Daniel Mercer from the faces, professional history, and published words of three real strangers who never knew each other, then used that fabricated identity to extract $22,000 from a divorced dental hygienist over four months. We follow Detective David Becker's investigation from the uncollected newspapers to the encrypted chat logs, the fake bank screenshots, and the printed spreadsheet with twelve names-each one marked with notes like "recently divorced, lonely, trusts fast"-and we confront the mystery the verdict never resolved: why did Porter drive to her house at 2 a.m., and what was he actually standing in the dark to do?

Person: Pamela Taylor
Person: Troy Porter
Perpetrator: Troy Porter, age 36
Location: Moline, Illinois; Roseland, Chicago
Amount stolen: $22,000
Event: Romance fraud scheme, April-August 2022

- Pamela Taylor downloaded a dating app in April 2022, three years after her divorce was finalized in 2019.
- Troy Porter's fake profile, Daniel Mercer, claimed to be a civil engineer working on a bridge project near Chicago, originally from Portland.
- Daniel's photographs were the face of Philip Moran, a real civil engineer in Bend, Oregon who had no knowledge of the fraud.
- Between July 19 and August 3, 2022, Pamela sent $22,000 across six transactions in response to fabricated emergencies involving contractor disputes and frozen funds.
- On August 4, 2022 at 2 a.m., Troy Porter drove 210 miles from Chicago to Pamela's house and left a newspaper on her porch before driving back.
- Porter was arrested September 14, 2022 and sentenced to seven years federal prison on charges of wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098015Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:39:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe dry newspaper: what Troy Porter couldn't stop himself from doing Four uncollected papers lay on Pamela Taylor's porch on August 7, 2022, but one placed there after 2 a.m. was bone dry while the others held the weight of dew. That pristine...
Four uncollected papers lay on Pamela Taylor's porch on August 7, 2022, but one placed there after 2 a.m. was bone dry while the others held the weight of dew. That pristine newspaper, dated August 4th, was left by the man who had just stolen $22,000 from her across six carefully orchestrated wire transfers-a man who drove 210 miles in the dark to place it there, then drove back, leaving behind the one piece of evidence that would eventually lead detectives to his door.

In this episode, we trace how Troy Porter assembled a fictional civil engineer named Daniel Mercer from the faces, professional history, and published words of three real strangers who never knew each other, then used that fabricated identity to extract $22,000 from a divorced dental hygienist over four months. We follow Detective David Becker's investigation from the uncollected newspapers to the encrypted chat logs, the fake bank screenshots, and the printed spreadsheet with twelve names-each one marked with notes like "recently divorced, lonely, trusts fast"-and we confront the mystery the verdict never resolved: why did Porter drive to her house at 2 a.m., and what was he actually standing in the dark to do?

Person: Pamela Taylor
Person: Troy Porter
Perpetrator: Troy Porter, age 36
Location: Moline, Illinois; Roseland, Chicago
Amount stolen: $22,000
Event: Romance fraud scheme, April-August 2022

- Pamela Taylor downloaded a dating app in April 2022, three years after her divorce was finalized in 2019.
- Troy Porter's fake profile, Daniel Mercer, claimed to be a civil engineer working on a bridge project near Chicago, originally from Portland.
- Daniel's photographs were the face of Philip Moran, a real civil engineer in Bend, Oregon who had no knowledge of the fraud.
- Between July 19 and August 3, 2022, Pamela sent $22,000 across six transactions in response to fabricated emergencies involving contractor disputes and frozen funds.
- On August 4, 2022 at 2 a.m., Troy Porter drove 210 miles from Chicago to Pamela's house and left a newspaper on her porch before driving back.
- Porter was arrested September 14, 2022 and sentenced to seven years federal prison on charges of wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1197falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-badge-in-the-gravel-how-a-volunteer-became-a-predator--73098012
In this episode, we follow Debra Marshall through November's darkest mornings after her brother's overdose death, to the Wednesday in January when she walked into Steady Ground and met a man with silver temples who said he understood loss. We trace the photographs with no gravity, Susan Wells' reverse image search that revealed a face stolen from a physical therapist in North Carolina, and the escalating requests-forty dollars, eighty dollars, then four thousand dollars for a daughter hospitalized in Oregon who had no name, no hospital, no city.

Person: Debra Marshall
Perpetrator: Craig Pell, alias Charles Watson
Location: Dunmore, Iowa; Millhaven, Nebraska
Amount stolen: Eleven thousand two hundred dollars
Event: Pell's arrest in August in the Quad Cities area of Illinois
Date: January through June, six-week volunteer period beginning October prior

- Debra's brother Mitchell died in November of an accidental overdose; she had been his primary support for years.
- Debra worked as a dispatch operator at Precision Climate Solutions and cared for a twelve-year-old diabetic basset hound named Pepper on a strict twice-daily insulin schedule.
- Craig Pell completed a volunteer orientation at Dunmore General in October under a false name, received a hospital badge, and cleared a background check using an alias.
- The photographs Charles sent to Debra were reverse-image searched and identified as belonging to Douglas Merritt, a physical therapist in Raleigh, North Carolina, whom Pell had never met.
- Debra drove to Millhaven, Nebraska in June to meet Charles and find his broken-down truck, but found nothing; Pell was arrested in August and sentenced to seven years for three counts of wire fraud and one count of identity fraud.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098012Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:38:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe badge in the gravel: how a volunteer became a predator In this episode, we follow Debra Marshall through November's darkest mornings after her brother's overdose death, to the Wednesday in January when she walked into Steady Ground and met a...
In this episode, we follow Debra Marshall through November's darkest mornings after her brother's overdose death, to the Wednesday in January when she walked into Steady Ground and met a man with silver temples who said he understood loss. We trace the photographs with no gravity, Susan Wells' reverse image search that revealed a face stolen from a physical therapist in North Carolina, and the escalating requests-forty dollars, eighty dollars, then four thousand dollars for a daughter hospitalized in Oregon who had no name, no hospital, no city.

Person: Debra Marshall
Perpetrator: Craig Pell, alias Charles Watson
Location: Dunmore, Iowa; Millhaven, Nebraska
Amount stolen: Eleven thousand two hundred dollars
Event: Pell's arrest in August in the Quad Cities area of Illinois
Date: January through June, six-week volunteer period beginning October prior

- Debra's brother Mitchell died in November of an accidental overdose; she had been his primary support for years.
- Debra worked as a dispatch operator at Precision Climate Solutions and cared for a twelve-year-old diabetic basset hound named Pepper on a strict twice-daily insulin schedule.
- Craig Pell completed a volunteer orientation at Dunmore General in October under a false name, received a hospital badge, and cleared a background check using an alias.
- The photographs Charles sent to Debra were reverse-image searched and identified as belonging to Douglas Merritt, a physical therapist in Raleigh, North Carolina, whom Pell had never met.
- Debra drove to Millhaven, Nebraska in June to meet Charles and find his broken-down truck, but found nothing; Pell was arrested in August and sentenced to seven years for three counts of wire fraud and one count of identity fraud.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1161falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-portrait-in-the-service-channel-how-loneliness-became-currency--73098011
A utility lineman discovers a framed wedding photo placed carefully in a stranger's yard on a June morning in 2019-clean glass, unoxidized frame, resting on a folded blue moving blanket. How did a man using stolen photographs and a fabricated identity convince Pamela Marshall, a meticulous office manager who caught billing errors for a living, to wire sixty-two thousand dollars to someone she had never met?

In this episode, we trace the architecture of Roy Minter's operation through a handwritten ledger naming at least four women across three states, forensic evidence placing a prepaid phone at Pamela's house during work hours, and a circled property listing in Tema, Ghana priced at exactly sixty-one thousand, eight hundred dollars. We examine how a man posing as Norman White, a widower structural consultant in Accra, exploited not naivety but the specific silence that had filled Pamela's house since her daughter left for college in 2015.

Victim: Pamela Marshall
Perpetrator: Roy Minter (aka Dennis Colby, Norman White)
Location: Cutter Falls, Ohio; Millhaven Road
Amount stolen: $62,000
Event: Wire fraud operation across three states, 2016-2019
Date of discovery: June 11, 2019

- Pamela Marshall, age 52, had caught $40,000 in vendor billing errors over five years at Ridgecrest Partners civil engineering firm.
- Roy Minter, age 31 at arrest, had prior wire fraud conviction in Columbus in 2012 and worked in roles providing access to women's personal data.
- The prepaid phone and wedding portrait were discovered by utility lineman Dale Taylor at 7:15 a.m. on June 11, 2019, in the service channel behind Pamela's cedar fence.
- Device metadata placed the prepaid phone at Pamela's GPS coordinates on two weekday afternoons when she was at work; motion sensor recorded two entries in the prior 30 days.
- Minter's handwritten ledger recorded at least four women victims, with crisis code abbreviations (C.P.O. for corrupt port official, K.S. for kidney stones, B.F. for bank freeze) and seven wire transfers totaling $62,000 sent between January and April 2019.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098011Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:38:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe portrait in the service channel: how loneliness became currency A utility lineman discovers a framed wedding photo placed carefully in a stranger's yard on a June morning in 2019-clean glass, unoxidized frame, resting on a folded blue moving...
A utility lineman discovers a framed wedding photo placed carefully in a stranger's yard on a June morning in 2019-clean glass, unoxidized frame, resting on a folded blue moving blanket. How did a man using stolen photographs and a fabricated identity convince Pamela Marshall, a meticulous office manager who caught billing errors for a living, to wire sixty-two thousand dollars to someone she had never met?

In this episode, we trace the architecture of Roy Minter's operation through a handwritten ledger naming at least four women across three states, forensic evidence placing a prepaid phone at Pamela's house during work hours, and a circled property listing in Tema, Ghana priced at exactly sixty-one thousand, eight hundred dollars. We examine how a man posing as Norman White, a widower structural consultant in Accra, exploited not naivety but the specific silence that had filled Pamela's house since her daughter left for college in 2015.

Victim: Pamela Marshall
Perpetrator: Roy Minter (aka Dennis Colby, Norman White)
Location: Cutter Falls, Ohio; Millhaven Road
Amount stolen: $62,000
Event: Wire fraud operation across three states, 2016-2019
Date of discovery: June 11, 2019

- Pamela Marshall, age 52, had caught $40,000 in vendor billing errors over five years at Ridgecrest Partners civil engineering firm.
- Roy Minter, age 31 at arrest, had prior wire fraud conviction in Columbus in 2012 and worked in roles providing access to women's personal data.
- The prepaid phone and wedding portrait were discovered by utility lineman Dale Taylor at 7:15 a.m. on June 11, 2019, in the service channel behind Pamela's cedar fence.
- Device metadata placed the prepaid phone at Pamela's GPS coordinates on two weekday afternoons when she was at work; motion sensor recorded two entries in the prior 30 days.
- Minter's handwritten ledger recorded at least four women victims, with crisis code abbreviations (C.P.O. for corrupt port official, K.S. for kidney stones, B.F. for bank freeze) and seven wire transfers totaling $62,000 sent between January and April 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1176falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-scissors-on-the-drain-how-a-con-man-learned-to-steal-with-grief--73098009
A pair of red-handled garden scissors sits on a storm drain with a handwritten tag: FOR RACHEL. THESE WERE HIS. But the man who owned them is dead, and the will that named them has been rewritten by someone who never should have had access to Martin Sheridan's language, his loneliness, or his love.

In this episode, we follow the eleven transfers totaling sixty-three thousand dollars, the incorporation of a fake company seven months before contact, and the crafted will that used Martin's own grief against him-language so constructed it broke under scrutiny. We trace how a man named Alan Foss, operating under the alias Paul Harris, methodically built trust along a morning walking route, then ask why the scissors themselves became the one piece of evidence that his confession could never account for.

Person: Martin Sheridan
Age: 78
Location: Dunmore, Ohio
Date of death: March 9
Perpetrator: Alan Foss (alias Paul Harris)
Amount stolen: $63,000

- Martin Sheridan died of congestive heart failure compounded by sustained psychological stress on March 9 in Dunmore, Ohio.
- Alan Foss incorporated Cedarfield Garden Consulting LLC in Delaware seven months before meeting Martin, with a mailbox at a UPS store in a Columbus suburb.
- Foss made eleven transfers between August and February totaling $63,000, each modest enough to avoid automatic fraud review thresholds.
- On September 19, Martin signed a new will naming Paul Harris as sole trustee of the Connie Sheridan Memorial Garden Trust, reducing Rachel's inheritance by 60 percent.
- Alan Foss was arrested mid-May in a furnished apartment and convicted on six counts: four counts of wire fraud, one count of financial exploitation of an elderly person, and one count of identity fraud, receiving a nine-year sentence.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098009Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:38:32 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe scissors on the drain: how a con man learned to steal with grief A pair of red-handled garden scissors sits on a storm drain with a handwritten tag: FOR RACHEL. THESE WERE HIS. But the man who owned them is dead, and the will that named them...
A pair of red-handled garden scissors sits on a storm drain with a handwritten tag: FOR RACHEL. THESE WERE HIS. But the man who owned them is dead, and the will that named them has been rewritten by someone who never should have had access to Martin Sheridan's language, his loneliness, or his love.

In this episode, we follow the eleven transfers totaling sixty-three thousand dollars, the incorporation of a fake company seven months before contact, and the crafted will that used Martin's own grief against him-language so constructed it broke under scrutiny. We trace how a man named Alan Foss, operating under the alias Paul Harris, methodically built trust along a morning walking route, then ask why the scissors themselves became the one piece of evidence that his confession could never account for.

Person: Martin Sheridan
Age: 78
Location: Dunmore, Ohio
Date of death: March 9
Perpetrator: Alan Foss (alias Paul Harris)
Amount stolen: $63,000

- Martin Sheridan died of congestive heart failure compounded by sustained psychological stress on March 9 in Dunmore, Ohio.
- Alan Foss incorporated Cedarfield Garden Consulting LLC in Delaware seven months before meeting Martin, with a mailbox at a UPS store in a Columbus suburb.
- Foss made eleven transfers between August and February totaling $63,000, each modest enough to avoid automatic fraud review thresholds.
- On September 19, Martin signed a new will naming Paul Harris as sole trustee of the Connie Sheridan Memorial Garden Trust, reducing Rachel's inheritance by 60 percent.
- Alan Foss was arrested mid-May in a furnished apartment and convicted on six counts: four counts of wire fraud, one count of financial exploitation of an elderly person, and one count of identity fraud, receiving a nine-year sentence.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-notebooks-below-how-he-lived-where-she-called--73098007
Pink and white carnations sat on a porch in Fenton, Ohio, with a notecard apologizing to a person who no longer existed. Peggy Vaughn, a careful 29-year-old billing coordinator, had sent $4,000 to a man named Charles O'Brien after six weeks of nightly phone calls at 8 p.m. sharp. But when she ran a reverse image search, she discovered the man she trusted was stolen from a structural engineer in Denver-and investigators would soon find him living one floor below her the entire time.

In this episode, we trace the operation from Valentine's Day 2019 through spiral notebooks that read like a training manual, complete with annotated scripts for crisis calls, timing variants, and margin notes on what works. We explore how Peggy's college friend discovered an identical pattern in a consumer fraud forum, how a storage unit warrant revealed six stolen identities and at least four other victims, and why O'Brien's confession was delivered using the same script structure documented in those notebooks.

Person: Peggy Vaughn
Perpetrator: Charles O'Brien (arrested six weeks after storage unit warrant)
Location: Fenton, Ohio (Colwell Street duplex)
Amount: $4,000 wired from car-repair savings account
Date: February 14 - March 22, 2019
Event: Storage unit warrant; notebooks and laminated sheet recovered

- Peggy matched with profile "Charles O'Brien" on February 14, 2019, who noticed a book title visible in her profile photo that she had never mentioned.
- O'Brien called at exactly 8 p.m. almost every night, running calls close to two hours, never suggesting video calls and citing travel and unreliable internet.
- On March 22, 2019, O'Brien called at 6:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m., 90 minutes early, claiming his father needed a medical procedure and insurance had denied the claim.
- Peggy discovered via reverse image search that the photos belonged to Scott Navarro, a structural engineer in Denver whose LinkedIn profile dated to 2017.
- Storage unit held three spiral notebooks organized by stage (early rapport, crisis introduction, repayment delay, secondary crisis) with annotated language variants and margin notes on effective phrases, plus a laminated sheet listing six stolen identities.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098007Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:38:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe notebooks below: how he lived where she called Pink and white carnations sat on a porch in Fenton, Ohio, with a notecard apologizing to a person who no longer existed. Peggy Vaughn, a careful 29-year-old billing coordinator, had sent $4,000 to...
Pink and white carnations sat on a porch in Fenton, Ohio, with a notecard apologizing to a person who no longer existed. Peggy Vaughn, a careful 29-year-old billing coordinator, had sent $4,000 to a man named Charles O'Brien after six weeks of nightly phone calls at 8 p.m. sharp. But when she ran a reverse image search, she discovered the man she trusted was stolen from a structural engineer in Denver-and investigators would soon find him living one floor below her the entire time.

In this episode, we trace the operation from Valentine's Day 2019 through spiral notebooks that read like a training manual, complete with annotated scripts for crisis calls, timing variants, and margin notes on what works. We explore how Peggy's college friend discovered an identical pattern in a consumer fraud forum, how a storage unit warrant revealed six stolen identities and at least four other victims, and why O'Brien's confession was delivered using the same script structure documented in those notebooks.

Person: Peggy Vaughn
Perpetrator: Charles O'Brien (arrested six weeks after storage unit warrant)
Location: Fenton, Ohio (Colwell Street duplex)
Amount: $4,000 wired from car-repair savings account
Date: February 14 - March 22, 2019
Event: Storage unit warrant; notebooks and laminated sheet recovered

- Peggy matched with profile "Charles O'Brien" on February 14, 2019, who noticed a book title visible in her profile photo that she had never mentioned.
- O'Brien called at exactly 8 p.m. almost every night, running calls close to two hours, never suggesting video calls and citing travel and unreliable internet.
- On March 22, 2019, O'Brien called at 6:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m., 90 minutes early, claiming his father needed a medical procedure and insurance had denied the claim.
- Peggy discovered via reverse image search that the photos belonged to Scott Navarro, a structural engineer in Denver whose LinkedIn profile dated to 2017.
- Storage unit held three spiral notebooks organized by stage (early rapport, crisis introduction, repayment delay, secondary crisis) with annotated language variants and margin notes on effective phrases, plus a laminated sheet listing six stolen identities.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1055falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-brass-plate-on-the-wrong-altar-how-a-con-man-weaponized-church-loneliness--73098004
In this episode, we follow Dennis York's routine along the Hatchett River Greenway, the candid photograph stolen from a Charlotte civil engineer's LinkedIn profile, and the moment when four isolated people learned they were never the only ones. We examine the sign-in sheets that showed no Sunday appearances, the prior complaint from Murfreesboro that went nowhere, and the clinical statement Dalton gave six months after conviction when he described his targets not as people but as a method.

Person: Dennis York
Victim: Ralph Dalton targeted at least four people
Location: Calloway, Tennessee; Calvary Ridge Community Church
Amount stolen: Forty-one thousand two hundred dollars total
Perpetrator: Ralph Dalton, age fifty-seven at time of recorded statement

- Dennis York was a fifty-four-year-old widower and commercial roofing estimator whose wife Sandra died of a stroke six years before the fraud began.
- Ralph Dalton attended six or seven Friday fellowship sessions and two Thursday prayer breakfasts but never once appeared for a Sunday service in four months.
- The photograph Dalton sent to Dennis showing a man in a hard hat and ID badge was lifted from civil engineer Paul Elgin's LinkedIn profile, five years old at the time.
- Four love letters written on cream-colored monogrammed stationery embossed with R.D. in navy blue were left on the brass offering plate at the side chapel.
- Dennis York's wire transfer of nine thousand four hundred dollars was the largest single amount among the four victims.
- Dalton had defrauded Agnes Tilford of twenty-two thousand dollars in Murfreesboro three years earlier, but that complaint went nowhere because he had already left the state.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098004Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:38:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe brass plate on the wrong altar: how a con man weaponized church loneliness In this episode, we follow Dennis York's routine along the Hatchett River Greenway, the candid photograph stolen from a Charlotte civil engineer's LinkedIn profile, and...
In this episode, we follow Dennis York's routine along the Hatchett River Greenway, the candid photograph stolen from a Charlotte civil engineer's LinkedIn profile, and the moment when four isolated people learned they were never the only ones. We examine the sign-in sheets that showed no Sunday appearances, the prior complaint from Murfreesboro that went nowhere, and the clinical statement Dalton gave six months after conviction when he described his targets not as people but as a method.

Person: Dennis York
Victim: Ralph Dalton targeted at least four people
Location: Calloway, Tennessee; Calvary Ridge Community Church
Amount stolen: Forty-one thousand two hundred dollars total
Perpetrator: Ralph Dalton, age fifty-seven at time of recorded statement

- Dennis York was a fifty-four-year-old widower and commercial roofing estimator whose wife Sandra died of a stroke six years before the fraud began.
- Ralph Dalton attended six or seven Friday fellowship sessions and two Thursday prayer breakfasts but never once appeared for a Sunday service in four months.
- The photograph Dalton sent to Dennis showing a man in a hard hat and ID badge was lifted from civil engineer Paul Elgin's LinkedIn profile, five years old at the time.
- Four love letters written on cream-colored monogrammed stationery embossed with R.D. in navy blue were left on the brass offering plate at the side chapel.
- Dennis York's wire transfer of nine thousand four hundred dollars was the largest single amount among the four victims.
- Dalton had defrauded Agnes Tilford of twenty-two thousand dollars in Murfreesboro three years earlier, but that complaint went nowhere because he had already left the state.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>999falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-frame-at-the-pond-how-a-dead-soldier-s-face-became-a-weapon--73098003
A retired postal worker finds a brass-framed photograph half-pressed into mud beside a pond on Valentine's Day, the inscription pristine: All my love, always - Thomas. But the man in the dress uniform has been dead for five years, and no one reported the frame missing. How did a photograph stolen from a memorial page become the centerpiece of a calculated romance fraud, and what made a nursing student's single note about a wrong stamp the detail that finally broke the case?

In this episode, we trace how Dean Simmons built an identical operational script across two counties using a stolen military portrait, the specific architectural details of his deception-from the non-round dollar amount to the domestic stamp on overseas mail-and the moment a beagle named Biscuit walked a muddy path that the perpetrator never knew existed. We follow the evidence chain from a forum profile created in October to a framed photograph thrown into brush on February thirteenth, and how Marcia Bishop's quiet return to her Tuesday shift answered a question no one had asked aloud.

Person: Marcia Bishop
Victim: Marcia Bishop, age 22
Perpetrator: Dean Simmons, age 39
Location: Millhaven, Tennessee and Weller County, Tennessee
Amount stolen: $2,140 (partial recovery: $1,400)
Date: November 2019 to February 2020

- Marcia joined a community forum in early November 2019 for a hiking thread, where a profile named Thomas Greer messaged her claiming to be a 28-year-old Army staff sergeant stationed abroad.
- Thomas Greer's forum profile was created in October 2019, six weeks before sending Marcia his first message.
- The photograph used in Thomas Greer's profile belonged to Brandon Wick, a soldier from Cookeville, Tennessee who died in 2014; his family maintained a memorial page where the dress uniform portrait was visible.
- The first money transfer was $480 in early February for a staged vehicle accident and stolen wallet; by the end of February, Marcia had sent $2,140 across three separate transactions.
- Frances Coleman, Marcia's neighbor and a nursing student, noticed a domestic first-class stamp on a card from Thomas despite the APO address, and discovered the photograph belonged to a deceased soldier by running a reverse image search.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098003Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:37:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe frame at the pond: how a dead soldier's face became a weapon A retired postal worker finds a brass-framed photograph half-pressed into mud beside a pond on Valentine's Day, the inscription pristine: All my love, always - Thomas. But the man in...
A retired postal worker finds a brass-framed photograph half-pressed into mud beside a pond on Valentine's Day, the inscription pristine: All my love, always - Thomas. But the man in the dress uniform has been dead for five years, and no one reported the frame missing. How did a photograph stolen from a memorial page become the centerpiece of a calculated romance fraud, and what made a nursing student's single note about a wrong stamp the detail that finally broke the case?

In this episode, we trace how Dean Simmons built an identical operational script across two counties using a stolen military portrait, the specific architectural details of his deception-from the non-round dollar amount to the domestic stamp on overseas mail-and the moment a beagle named Biscuit walked a muddy path that the perpetrator never knew existed. We follow the evidence chain from a forum profile created in October to a framed photograph thrown into brush on February thirteenth, and how Marcia Bishop's quiet return to her Tuesday shift answered a question no one had asked aloud.

Person: Marcia Bishop
Victim: Marcia Bishop, age 22
Perpetrator: Dean Simmons, age 39
Location: Millhaven, Tennessee and Weller County, Tennessee
Amount stolen: $2,140 (partial recovery: $1,400)
Date: November 2019 to February 2020

- Marcia joined a community forum in early November 2019 for a hiking thread, where a profile named Thomas Greer messaged her claiming to be a 28-year-old Army staff sergeant stationed abroad.
- Thomas Greer's forum profile was created in October 2019, six weeks before sending Marcia his first message.
- The photograph used in Thomas Greer's profile belonged to Brandon Wick, a soldier from Cookeville, Tennessee who died in 2014; his family maintained a memorial page where the dress uniform portrait was visible.
- The first money transfer was $480 in early February for a staged vehicle accident and stolen wallet; by the end of February, Marcia had sent $2,140 across three separate transactions.
- Frances Coleman, Marcia's neighbor and a nursing student, noticed a domestic first-class stamp on a card from Thomas despite the APO address, and discovered the photograph belonged to a deceased soldier by running a reverse image search.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1036falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-box-that-didn-t-disappear-how-a-creek-exposed-eleven-victims--73098001
In this episode, we trace how a cardboard box's miscalculation of creek geometry unraveled Roy Mebane's operation: the notebook with a partial fingerprint on its back cover, the size eleven boot print in the mud, and the surveillance footage of a pickup truck at 11:40 p.m. We follow Leon Lane from his first message from "Kevin Harris"-a fabricated petroleum engineer using a stolen photograph-through eleven transfers across nine months, the isolation that made him vulnerable, and the coworker's reverse image search that finally exposed the lie.

Person: Leon Lane
Perpetrator: Roy Mebane, age 44
Event: Box discovered in Cutler Creek, January 9, 2019
Location: Pryor Bluff, Missouri
Amount stolen: $94,400
Sentence: 14 years, convicted September 2019

- Leon Lane, age 38, worked as an HVAC technician in Pryor Bluff, Missouri, where he had lived his entire life.
- Roy Mebane's operation had been running since at least 2012 across four states with eight prior confirmed victims before Leon.
- The fake "Kevin Harris" profile used a stolen photograph from Alan Pruitt, a real petroleum engineer in Houston, Texas, without his knowledge.
- Leon made eleven transfers totaling $94,400 over nine months, with amounts climbing from $2,000 in June to $12,000 in November 2018.
- Detective Brent Sousa matched the size eleven boot print from the limestone shelf to boots found at Mebane's Aster Grove, Arkansas rental property when he was arrested in late January 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098001Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:37:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe box that didn't disappear: how a creek exposed eleven victims In this episode, we trace how a cardboard box's miscalculation of creek geometry unraveled Roy Mebane's operation: the notebook with a partial fingerprint on its back cover, the size...
In this episode, we trace how a cardboard box's miscalculation of creek geometry unraveled Roy Mebane's operation: the notebook with a partial fingerprint on its back cover, the size eleven boot print in the mud, and the surveillance footage of a pickup truck at 11:40 p.m. We follow Leon Lane from his first message from "Kevin Harris"-a fabricated petroleum engineer using a stolen photograph-through eleven transfers across nine months, the isolation that made him vulnerable, and the coworker's reverse image search that finally exposed the lie.

Person: Leon Lane
Perpetrator: Roy Mebane, age 44
Event: Box discovered in Cutler Creek, January 9, 2019
Location: Pryor Bluff, Missouri
Amount stolen: $94,400
Sentence: 14 years, convicted September 2019

- Leon Lane, age 38, worked as an HVAC technician in Pryor Bluff, Missouri, where he had lived his entire life.
- Roy Mebane's operation had been running since at least 2012 across four states with eight prior confirmed victims before Leon.
- The fake "Kevin Harris" profile used a stolen photograph from Alan Pruitt, a real petroleum engineer in Houston, Texas, without his knowledge.
- Leon made eleven transfers totaling $94,400 over nine months, with amounts climbing from $2,000 in June to $12,000 in November 2018.
- Detective Brent Sousa matched the size eleven boot print from the limestone shelf to boots found at Mebane's Aster Grove, Arkansas rental property when he was arrested in late January 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1021falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-voice-that-was-never-there-how-a-fake-mandarin-teacher-stole-63-000--73098000
In this episode, we trace the architecture of an emotional fraud that extracted money by building real competence first. We follow William's year of genuine language instruction, the compliance-call layer designed to measure his remaining trust, and the moment a Mandarin teacher in Tucson, Arizona, recognized his own voice speaking words he never said to a man he had never met. We examine why a printout left on a kitchen table for six weeks, a bank manager who listened to the whole story, and a neighbor who made the call anyway became the only threads that could stop a machine designed to run indefinitely.

Person: William Reynolds
Perpetrator: Marcus Lane, age 44
Location: Columbus, Ohio; suburban Indiana warehouse
Amount stolen: $63,000
Event: Romance fraud using synthetic voice and harvested audio
Victims of identity theft: Brian Cho, Douglas Hecht

- William Reynolds, 62, retired Spanish teacher after 31 years teaching in Columbus, Ohio, received his first message from Ryan Webb on a Tuesday evening in January.
- Ryan Webb's photograph was lifted from a hiking forum post by retired software engineer Douglas Hecht in 2018; the fake profile claimed to be a 41-year-old Singaporean project manager and widower.
- Brian Cho, a Mandarin instructor in Tucson, Arizona, had posted five years of instructional videos to YouTube; his voice was harvested and synthesized to create the "Ryan Webb" voice without his knowledge.
- William sent nine transfers totaling $63,000 across three different services through a shell structure spanning four jurisdictions, beginning with $800 in June for a document certification fee.
- Marcus Lane, 44, with prior fraud convictions in two states, ran the domestic operation from a warehouse unit in suburban Indiana and was arrested in August; he received a 14-year sentence on 11 counts of wire fraud and 2 counts of identity theft.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73098000Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:37:33 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe voice that was never there: how a fake Mandarin teacher stole $63,000 In this episode, we trace the architecture of an emotional fraud that extracted money by building real competence first. We follow William's year of genuine language...
In this episode, we trace the architecture of an emotional fraud that extracted money by building real competence first. We follow William's year of genuine language instruction, the compliance-call layer designed to measure his remaining trust, and the moment a Mandarin teacher in Tucson, Arizona, recognized his own voice speaking words he never said to a man he had never met. We examine why a printout left on a kitchen table for six weeks, a bank manager who listened to the whole story, and a neighbor who made the call anyway became the only threads that could stop a machine designed to run indefinitely.

Person: William Reynolds
Perpetrator: Marcus Lane, age 44
Location: Columbus, Ohio; suburban Indiana warehouse
Amount stolen: $63,000
Event: Romance fraud using synthetic voice and harvested audio
Victims of identity theft: Brian Cho, Douglas Hecht

- William Reynolds, 62, retired Spanish teacher after 31 years teaching in Columbus, Ohio, received his first message from Ryan Webb on a Tuesday evening in January.
- Ryan Webb's photograph was lifted from a hiking forum post by retired software engineer Douglas Hecht in 2018; the fake profile claimed to be a 41-year-old Singaporean project manager and widower.
- Brian Cho, a Mandarin instructor in Tucson, Arizona, had posted five years of instructional videos to YouTube; his voice was harvested and synthesized to create the "Ryan Webb" voice without his knowledge.
- William sent nine transfers totaling $63,000 across three different services through a shell structure spanning four jurisdictions, beginning with $800 in June for a document certification fee.
- Marcus Lane, 44, with prior fraud convictions in two states, ran the domestic operation from a warehouse unit in suburban Indiana and was arrested in August; he received a 14-year sentence on 11 counts of wire fraud and 2 counts of identity theft.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1263falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-under-the-septic-lid-how-a-fraudster-left-his-own-trail--73097997
In this episode, we trace how Monica's vulnerability as a veteran's sister and patient advocate made her a target, follow the three escalating money transfers calibrated to dissolve her hesitation at exactly the right moments, and examine the metadata embedded in that printed photograph-a printer serial number, a Roanoke address, and a laptop containing victim folders labeled with operational notes about how to manipulate each person. The question that haunts this case: why did Rafferty return to plant evidence against himself after the scheme was already complete?

Person: Monica Casey
Perpetrator: Alan Rafferty (born 1981, Akron, Ohio)
Event: Romance fraud scheme, March-November 2016
Platform: Veterans and Their Families: Moving Forward Together Facebook group
Amount stolen: Just under seven thousand dollars
Location: Roanoke, Virginia; Fort Hayes, Ohio (impersonated)

- Monica worked as a patient intake coordinator at a veterans' rehabilitation clinic and had a brother, Dennis, who completed two tours in Afghanistan.
- Alan Rafferty's profile appeared in the Facebook group in early March 2016, using photographs harvested from Staff Sergeant Raymond Pell's private Facebook account.
- Monica sent three transfers: four hundred dollars in September, eighteen hundred dollars in October, and four thousand dollars in early November to accounts in Nigeria, Ontario, and falsely described as Germany.
- The photograph printed on Rafferty's personal printer and hidden under the septic lid contained metadata identifying the specific device, its serial number, and a timestamp proving when it was printed.
- Rafferty's seized laptop contained organized folders for each victim, including Monica's, labeled with her workplace and a note to use "secondary trauma language" referencing her brother Dennis.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73097997Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:37:20 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe envelope under the septic lid: how a fraudster left his own trail In this episode, we trace how Monica's vulnerability as a veteran's sister and patient advocate made her a target, follow the three escalating money transfers calibrated to...
In this episode, we trace how Monica's vulnerability as a veteran's sister and patient advocate made her a target, follow the three escalating money transfers calibrated to dissolve her hesitation at exactly the right moments, and examine the metadata embedded in that printed photograph-a printer serial number, a Roanoke address, and a laptop containing victim folders labeled with operational notes about how to manipulate each person. The question that haunts this case: why did Rafferty return to plant evidence against himself after the scheme was already complete?

Person: Monica Casey
Perpetrator: Alan Rafferty (born 1981, Akron, Ohio)
Event: Romance fraud scheme, March-November 2016
Platform: Veterans and Their Families: Moving Forward Together Facebook group
Amount stolen: Just under seven thousand dollars
Location: Roanoke, Virginia; Fort Hayes, Ohio (impersonated)

- Monica worked as a patient intake coordinator at a veterans' rehabilitation clinic and had a brother, Dennis, who completed two tours in Afghanistan.
- Alan Rafferty's profile appeared in the Facebook group in early March 2016, using photographs harvested from Staff Sergeant Raymond Pell's private Facebook account.
- Monica sent three transfers: four hundred dollars in September, eighteen hundred dollars in October, and four thousand dollars in early November to accounts in Nigeria, Ontario, and falsely described as Germany.
- The photograph printed on Rafferty's personal printer and hidden under the septic lid contained metadata identifying the specific device, its serial number, and a timestamp proving when it was printed.
- Rafferty's seized laptop contained organized folders for each victim, including Monica's, labeled with her workplace and a note to use "secondary trauma language" referencing her brother Dennis.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1117falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-photograph-nailed-to-a-tree-how-a-face-became-a-weapon--73097995
A retired bird watcher found a four-by-six print tucked into the bark of a silver maple in the Renwick Preserve-two men in linen shirts smiling in front of a stone building, inscribed "For Vernon - proof of life on the other side of the world. Always, R." But the man Vernon Snyder believed was Russell Wells was not Russell Wells at all. Who was he, and how did his stolen identity move seventy-two thousand dollars across fourteen months?

In this episode, we trace how Dennis Pryor harvested real photographs from an engineer's professional profile, built a voice and a calendar around a stolen face, and constructed seven escalating crises-Turkish export permits, port clearances, customs bonds-each framed as a procedural requirement that only someone like Russell Wells could resolve. We follow Paula Nelson's discovery, the moment investigators identified Steven Ault of Portland as the man whose face had been borrowed without consent, and the second victim-Roberta Hensley of Wheeling, West Virginia-who lost sixty-three thousand dollars to the same photograph but never reported it, waiting instead to feel less ashamed.

Person: Vernon Snyder
Perpetrator: Dennis Pryor, age 36
Location: Crestfield, Ohio; Akron, Ohio; Wheeling, West Virginia; Portland, Oregon
Amount stolen: Seventy-two thousand dollars (Vernon); sixty-three thousand dollars (Roberta Hensley)
Event: Wire fraud scheme spanning fourteen months
Sentence: Six years in federal prison

- Dennis Pryor obtained a digitization contract at a legal office in the Crestfield area, giving him access to professional mailing lists where Vernon's name appeared.
- Vernon Snyder received an inheritance of approximately one hundred and fourteen thousand dollars from his uncle in the spring before the scheme began.
- Seven wire transfers totaling ninety-one thousand dollars moved through layered accounts traced to a month-to-month rental in Akron, Ohio, sixty miles from Crestfield.
- Steven Ault, an engineer from Portland, Oregon, had published photographs to a professional networking profile between 2014 and 2018 that Pryor harvested and used to build Russell Wells's identity.
- Roberta Hensley, a retired schoolteacher in Wheeling, West Virginia, lost sixty-three thousand dollars over nine months to the same photograph and warehouse documentation but did not report it to police.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73097995Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:37:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe photograph nailed to a tree: how a face became a weapon A retired bird watcher found a four-by-six print tucked into the bark of a silver maple in the Renwick Preserve-two men in linen shirts smiling in front of a stone building, inscribed "For...
A retired bird watcher found a four-by-six print tucked into the bark of a silver maple in the Renwick Preserve-two men in linen shirts smiling in front of a stone building, inscribed "For Vernon - proof of life on the other side of the world. Always, R." But the man Vernon Snyder believed was Russell Wells was not Russell Wells at all. Who was he, and how did his stolen identity move seventy-two thousand dollars across fourteen months?

In this episode, we trace how Dennis Pryor harvested real photographs from an engineer's professional profile, built a voice and a calendar around a stolen face, and constructed seven escalating crises-Turkish export permits, port clearances, customs bonds-each framed as a procedural requirement that only someone like Russell Wells could resolve. We follow Paula Nelson's discovery, the moment investigators identified Steven Ault of Portland as the man whose face had been borrowed without consent, and the second victim-Roberta Hensley of Wheeling, West Virginia-who lost sixty-three thousand dollars to the same photograph but never reported it, waiting instead to feel less ashamed.

Person: Vernon Snyder
Perpetrator: Dennis Pryor, age 36
Location: Crestfield, Ohio; Akron, Ohio; Wheeling, West Virginia; Portland, Oregon
Amount stolen: Seventy-two thousand dollars (Vernon); sixty-three thousand dollars (Roberta Hensley)
Event: Wire fraud scheme spanning fourteen months
Sentence: Six years in federal prison

- Dennis Pryor obtained a digitization contract at a legal office in the Crestfield area, giving him access to professional mailing lists where Vernon's name appeared.
- Vernon Snyder received an inheritance of approximately one hundred and fourteen thousand dollars from his uncle in the spring before the scheme began.
- Seven wire transfers totaling ninety-one thousand dollars moved through layered accounts traced to a month-to-month rental in Akron, Ohio, sixty miles from Crestfield.
- Steven Ault, an engineer from Portland, Oregon, had published photographs to a professional networking profile between 2014 and 2018 that Pryor harvested and used to build Russell Wells's identity.
- Roberta Hensley, a retired schoolteacher in Wheeling, West Virginia, lost sixty-three thousand dollars over nine months to the same photograph and warehouse documentation but did not report it to police.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>909falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ledger-column-how-a-garage-workshop-targeted-solitude--73097994
In this episode, we follow the evidence from a handmade badge to a handwritten ledger with a column heading that read "distance from family." We examine how Mitchell Crane built profiles around a stolen face, how he tracked emotional isolation as a targeting metric, and why the Ohio case-with the same method, the same face, eighteen months earlier-had gone nowhere until Vernon Donnelly and a teenage newspaper carrier interrupted the sequence.

Person: Karen Vogel
Perpetrator: Mitchell Crane, age 38
Location: Cassidy Lane, Grover County, Tennessee; Bradley County workshop
Amount stolen: $3,000
Event: Romance scam using fake "Carl Stroud" profile, June-September 2019
Date discovered: September 2019

- Karen Vogel, 32, moved to Cassidy Lane in spring 2019 after ending a seven-year relationship and her mother's death the year before.
- She joined RuralMeet in late June and messaged a profile claiming to be Carl Stroud, a widowed long-haul trucker with a nine-year-old daughter named Abby who had hereditary spherocytosis.
- Wire transfers totaled just over $3,000 across five transfers from mid-August to mid-September, each preceded by medical invoices with mismatched billing addresses.
- Laura O'Brien, 14, found a handmade hospital badge at Karen's mailbox post at 7:15 a.m. and photographed it; the badge bore Carl Stroud's name and the wrong encoding.
- Investigators found Mitchell Crane's detached garage workshop contained a laminator, hospital badge templates, printed photographs of the real Carl Stroud, and a handwritten ledger with columns tracking initials, dates, amounts, and "distance from family."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73097994Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:36:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe ledger column: how a garage workshop targeted solitude In this episode, we follow the evidence from a handmade badge to a handwritten ledger with a column heading that read "distance from family." We examine how Mitchell Crane built profiles...
In this episode, we follow the evidence from a handmade badge to a handwritten ledger with a column heading that read "distance from family." We examine how Mitchell Crane built profiles around a stolen face, how he tracked emotional isolation as a targeting metric, and why the Ohio case-with the same method, the same face, eighteen months earlier-had gone nowhere until Vernon Donnelly and a teenage newspaper carrier interrupted the sequence.

Person: Karen Vogel
Perpetrator: Mitchell Crane, age 38
Location: Cassidy Lane, Grover County, Tennessee; Bradley County workshop
Amount stolen: $3,000
Event: Romance scam using fake "Carl Stroud" profile, June-September 2019
Date discovered: September 2019

- Karen Vogel, 32, moved to Cassidy Lane in spring 2019 after ending a seven-year relationship and her mother's death the year before.
- She joined RuralMeet in late June and messaged a profile claiming to be Carl Stroud, a widowed long-haul trucker with a nine-year-old daughter named Abby who had hereditary spherocytosis.
- Wire transfers totaled just over $3,000 across five transfers from mid-August to mid-September, each preceded by medical invoices with mismatched billing addresses.
- Laura O'Brien, 14, found a handmade hospital badge at Karen's mailbox post at 7:15 a.m. and photographed it; the badge bore Carl Stroud's name and the wrong encoding.
- Investigators found Mitchell Crane's detached garage workshop contained a laminator, hospital badge templates, printed photographs of the real Carl Stroud, and a handwritten ledger with columns tracking initials, dates, amounts, and "distance from family."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1075falsefull