About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of online romance fraud and catfishing through the experiences of two women who were victims.
Online romance fraud and 'catfishing' – when someone pretends to be someone they’re not - is a problem across the globe. It causes financial and emotional devastation, yet many people refuse to take it seriously. Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from the UK and Sweden who have spent years rebuilding their lives after being targeted by men they met on dating sites. Pernilla Sjöholm is from Sweden. She was conned by the infamous Simon Leviev, the so-called "Tinder Swindler" and allegedly scammed out of the equivalent of $65,000. Pernilla is now an international speaker on AI, cybersecurity and fraud prevention. She also co-founded IDfier, working on digital identity verification, and is the author of Swindled Never After. Anna Rowe is pushing for greater support for romance fraud victims after her own experience of being conned. In 2015 she fell in love with a man who she had met online. After 14 months she discovered that the man she was in a relationship with, ‘Antony Ray’ was using a fake identity and leading a double life which left Anna feeling emotionally and sexually violated. Anna is now dedicated to helping victims of all types of romance fraud and catfishing…
People in this episode
Host: Datshiane Navanayagam
Guests: Pernilla Sjöholm, Anna Rowe
Topics covered
- online romance fraud
- catfishing
- financial devastation
- emotional impact
- victim support
Keywords
- catfishing
- romance fraud
- online dating
- victim support
- financial scam
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IDfier, LoveSaid, Catch the Catfish
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