
Ep 333: Con Men and Coercive Control: The Psychology of Deception with Sarah Ferris, Part 1
From Crime Analyst by Laura Richards
May 4, 2026 · 57 min · Episode 333
About this episode
The episode discusses the psychology of deception and coercive control through the story of Sarah Ferris and her experience with a conman.
We all like to think we would know a conman when we see one – that’s what savvy Sarah Ferris thought when her sister Emma introduced her to the man she met on Tinder. His name was Andrew Tonks – only it wasn’t. His real name was Andrew W C Tonks Thomson. After six months of dating him he conned her out of more than $250,000. Together with her sister, Sarah, and a brilliant group of women – they didn't let him get away it and turned the tables on him. They made a podcast about it as it happened in real time called Conning the Con. And Tonks/Tomson is still making headlines, having been charged with offences relating to six more victims and a new trial in the Supreme Court. You won’t want to miss this. Listen and learn about: • Grooming, manipulation, and the psychology of influence; • Why intelligent, capable people can be targeted and entrapped; • The importance of recognising patterns - not isolated incidents; • Trusting your instincts and understanding risk; • Prevention, awareness, and protecting yourself and others; 🎧 Listen, learn, and share - you could change your life. #CrimeAnalyst #SarahFerris #CONmunityPodcast #CoerciveControl #BehaviouralAnalysis #TrueCrime…
People in this episode
Host: Laura Richards
Guest: Sarah Ferris
Topics covered
- coercive control
- deception
- manipulation
- grooming
- psychology of influence
- victim awareness
Keywords
- true crime
- manipulation
- gaslighting
- hidden abuse
- trust your instincts
- red flags
- pattern recognition
- women safety
- empowerment
- prevention
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Conning the Con, CONmunity Podcast
More episodes of Crime Analyst
- Ep 342: Remastered: The Murder of Gabby Petito, Part 12 · June 4, 2026 · 22 min
- Ep 341: Outsmarting My Psychopath Ex-Husband, Dirty John Meehan with Tonia Bales · June 1, 2026 · 1h 10m
- Ep 340: Remastered: The Murder of Gabby Petito, Part 11 · May 28, 2026 · 50 min
- Ep 339: Breaking the Terror: Bringing a Sadistic Abuser to Justice with Miriam Lake, Part 2 · May 25, 2026 · 51 min
- Ep 338: Remastered: The Murder of Gabby Petito, Part 10 · May 21, 2026 · 1h 5m
- Ep 337: Terror Behind Closed Doors: A Sadistic Coercive Controller with Miriam Lake, Part 1 · May 18, 2026 · 48 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Crime Analyst podcast page.