Before I continue the timeline of what happened to me, I wanted to pause for a moment and talk about something that is critical to understanding these scams — the “how.”
In this episode I step back from the mechanics of the story to explain why understanding how these romance scams actually take hold is so important. These operations are not simple financial scams. They are carefully orchestrated emotional manipulations designed to build trust, create connection, and slowly guide victims toward decisions that feel real in the moment.
I’m not sharing this to lecture anyone. I’m sharing it because I wish someone had explained these things to me before it happened.
If understanding the how helps even one person recognize the warning signs early, block a message, or walk away from a situation that feels wrong, then sharing this painful experience again, will be worth it.
In the next episode, I will return with very specific instances of the mechanics related to the financial transactioons...
In the next episode, I return to the timeline and begin walking through the specific moments when the financial mechanics of the scam began to unfold.
If you would like to learn more about my experience, understand it in full detail as you move along with these podcast episodes, here is a link to my book on Amazon. This is not about sales, this is about eductation, prevention, passing information on, staying safe and protecting what you have.
https://a.co/d/00uitI9U
This is an ongoing podcast series that explores the anatomy of modern romance scams and introduces practical tools designed to help you recognize, avoid, and recover from these crimes.
The AOM Framework™
Your Personal Rulebook — Gave a foundation for this, but please, build your own personal rules to recognize danger, make better decisions, and protect yourself before a scam ever takes hold. Always validate.
The Scammer's Playbook — Learn how scammers build trust, create dependency, and manipulate their victims.
The Four S's — Secrecy. Silence. Shame. Seduction.
The 15/30 Rule — Stop. Step back. Evaluate before you act.
Pattern Recognition — Recognize where the scam is going before it gets there.
DBW: Delete. Block. Walk. — Protect yourself. Walk away. This is critical.
Learn More:
Books available to read, keep, or pass on.
📘 DING... "Hello Dear, Did You Miss Me?"
https://a.co/d/0eaBEMlu
📗 The Reality Behind Romance Scams: The Playbook
https://a.co/d/0aV7btcS
🌐 Website: michaelbauthor.com
🎥 Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzbubG0gxfo
If these episodes helped you, please follow, and share them with someone you care about, and help spread awareness.
Until next time... Delete. Block. Walk. And al...
