Ep 335: Con Men and Coercive Control: The Psychology of Deception with Sarah Ferris, Part 2
About this episode
Laura continues her interview with Sarah Ferris to explore the psychology of deception and the behaviors of conmen.
Laura continues her interview with Sarah Ferris moving beyond the initial deception to unpack the deeper patterns, behaviours, and mindset of a conman - and what we must learn from it. Laura and Sarah profile Peter Cowell, who posed as an Admiral, extracting money from senior leaders, veterans and even targeting former police detectives for an organisation he called IntSAR – the International Sea Air Rescue Service, a global humanitarian project with a military-style structure. It turns out, it is a work of fiction. Drawing on both lived experience and behavioural analysis, Laura and Sarah explore how perpetrators create influence, maintain control, and continue offending - often across multiple victims - while appearing credible and trustworthy to others. Key Takeaways: • The Pattern Behind the Persona: Why conmen rely on consistency, charm, and credibility - and how this masks repeat offending • Grooming & Influence: How trust is built quickly and used to establish control and dependency • Serial Behaviour: Why there is almost always a history -and often multiple victims • Missed Warning Signs: How red flags are explained away, minimised, or only recognised in hindsight •…
More episodes of Crime Analyst
- Ep 341: Outsmarting My Psychopath Ex-Husband, Dirty John Meehan with Tonia Bales
- Ep 340: Remastered: The Murder of Gabby Petito, Part 11
- Ep 339: Breaking the Terror: Bringing a Sadistic Abuser to Justice with Miriam Lake, Part 2
- Ep 338: Remastered: The Murder of Gabby Petito, Part 10
- Ep 337: Terror Behind Closed Doors: A Sadistic Coercive Controller with Miriam Lake, Part 1
- Ep 336: Remastered: The Murder of Gabby Petito, Part 9
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