The Dating Detectives

After nearly 20 years of marriage, Lauren thought she knew what it meant to be a good wife: make sacrifices, keep the peace, and do whatever it takes to keep her family together. But what started with small lies and financial secrets slowly spiraled into a marriage defined by manipulation, control, and increasingly shocking sexual demands. As her husband's fantasies grew more extreme, Lauren found herself pressured into situations she never imagined, all while desperately trying to hold her family together. When her husband proposes an unconventional solution to save their marriage, things take an even more bizarre turn. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual coercion, sexual assault, domestic abuse, and kink.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on…

When Claire met James at a Halloween party in Quebec, she was fresh out of a controlling relationship and ready for a new chapter. Charming, confident, and seemingly emotionally available, James swept her off her feet with romantic gestures, thoughtful gifts, and promises of a future together. But there was one thing Claire couldn't ignore: James had a history of what he called "crazy ex-girlfriends," and the longer they were together, the more Claire began to question whether she was becoming one of them. As strange encounters, secret social media accounts, and increasingly suspicious behavior leave her questioning her own reality, Claire finds herself caught between the man everyone insists is perfect and the gut feeling telling her something is terribly wrong.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished…

We're back with Part Two of Nick's jaw-dropping story, and if you thought things couldn't get worse, think again. What started as a whirlwind romance has spiraled into a nightmare of manipulation, mysterious destruction, and increasingly disturbing behavior. As Nick struggles to make sense of the woman he thought he was going to marry, the stakes become higher than ever when his young daughter enters the picture. But just when he thinks he's seen the worst of it, a shocking discovery forces him to question everything he thought he knew. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkThis episode is sponsored by Baked by Melissa. Get 20% off your order at…

When single dad Nick meets Maya on Hinge, their chemistry is undeniable. Within weeks, they're inseparable, exchanging declarations of love and making plans for a future together. But what starts as a whirlwind romance slowly takes a darker turn when Nick begins noticing strange inconsistencies in Maya's stories, increasingly controlling behavior, and accusations that leave him questioning everything. As the red flags pile up, Nick begins to wonder how much he really knows about the woman he's planning to marry. In part one of this jaw-dropping two-part story, Mackenzie and Hanna unpack a relationship where nothing is quite what it seems and remind us that Dogfish come in all shapes, sizes, and genders.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email…

Lucy thought she knew everything about the boy she’d loved since high school. After years together, college, an engagement, and plans for a picture-perfect wedding, their future seemed all but certain, but little things had started to feel off. Strange explanations, inconsistent paychecks, missing details, and lies that seemed too small to matter left Lucy constantly wondering what she was missing. As the financial pressure mounts and her femmetuition gets harder to ignore, one question becomes impossible to shake: how well can you really know someone you’ve spent nearly a decade loving?Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkThis episode of The Dating Detectives is…

When Ivy met the man who would become her second husband, she thought she had found her soulmate, and for years, their marriage seemed to prove her right. But when his behavior suddenly shifts and he insists the problem is all in her head, Ivy begins questioning everything: her instincts, her confidence, and even her own mental health. As suspicious moments pile up and the people around her encourage her to give him the benefit of the doubt, Ivy is left searching for the proof her gut has been demanding all along. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkThis episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by Rebel. Shop top brands in home, baby, outdoor, and more for…

This week on The Dating Detectives, Mackenzie is going undercover with a case that starts with nothing more than a wife’s gut feeling. After 16 years of marriage, Sarah notices her husband’s work dinners, overnight trips, and phone habits suddenly starting to change, so she quietly hires Mackenzie to find out where he’s really going. What begins as routine surveillance quickly turns into a full-blown mystery involving a secluded house, a suspicious coworker, some very questionable “client dinners,” and one of the most unconventional investigative methods Mackenzie has ever used. As each tiny clue starts connecting to the next, this case becomes a perfect reminder that sometimes your femmetuition knows something long before you have the evidence to prove it.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and…

After escaping a difficult first marriage, Emmy thought she knew exactly what red flags to look for, and when she met Noah, he seemed to be everything she had been missing: loving, dependable, devoted to his family, and just as committed to building a healthy relationship as she was. But as marriage, a new baby, cross-country moves, mysterious jobs, missing paychecks, and increasingly frequent work trips begin to pile up, small inconsistencies start turning into questions Emmy can’t shake. Then, one seemingly ordinary conversation cracks open a secret she never could have imagined, and suddenly she’s forced to question just how much of the life she built with her husband was ever real. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email…

When Steph meets Logan through work, he seems perfect. He was charming, successful, financially stable, and someone she already knows and trusts long before their relationship turns romantic. Things move quickly from coworkers to serious partners, with road trips, family introductions, and wedding plans making it feel like everything has fallen perfectly into place. But as their future gets more real, small inconsistencies around money begin to snowball into questions Steph can’t ignore. This week, Mackenzie and Hanna follow a trail of financial red flags, missing answers, and increasingly elaborate explanations as Steph tries to figure out how well you can ever truly know someone—and what happens when your femmetuition starts screaming that something just isn’t adding up.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been…

The BYU Bandit is back for Part Two, and the story only gets wilder. As Courtney’s relationship with Riley becomes increasingly volatile, the lies grow bigger, the manipulation gets darker, and the queer resource center they’ve worked so hard to build begins raising some serious questions. But when Courtney finally starts comparing notes with the other women in Riley’s orbit, she realizes just how deep the deception goes—and that she may be far from the only person who has been caught in Riley’s web. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkThis episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by Monarch. Get 50% off your first year of Monarch Core at monarch.com with…

In Part One of this two-part story, Mackenzie and Hanna sit down with Courtney, whose journey from devout Mormon missionary to queer student at BYU leads her into an underground LGBTQ+ community, and into the orbit of its charismatic, chaotic leader. What begins as a story about coming out, leaving the church, and finding the people who finally make her feel understood quickly becomes a tangled web of love bombing, ex-fiancées, blurred boundaries, suspicious stories, and a relationship Courtney can never quite seem to escape. As Courtney and her friends turn their fight for acceptance into a movement, and begin raising money for a queer resource center, the stakes get much bigger, and the red flags become harder to ignore. Buckle up, Sleuthies, because this one is only getting started.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If…

This week on The Dating Detectives, Mackenzie and Hanna sit down with Lauren, whose relationship with a charming, attentive man slowly transformed into a terrifying cycle of manipulation, abuse, apologies, and increasingly desperate attempts to leave. Lauren opens up about the trauma bond that kept pulling her back, the shame and confusion that can make leaving feel impossible, and what happened when the situation escalated far beyond a toxic relationship—eventually drawing the attention of the FBI and leading to a federal witness tampering case. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkThis episode is sponsored by We-Vibe. Visit wevibe.com and use code…

Happy Dating Detectives Monday… with a slight change of plans! Mackenzie and Hanna are popping in with a quick update about this week’s episode. We’ll be back on Wednesday with a brand-new full episode, but if you’re dying for more Dating Detectives in the meantime, head over to Patreon and use code TDD to get your first month for just 50 cents. Thank you, as always, for supporting the show, supporting our guests, and—of course—trusting your femmetuition. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, The Dating Detectives are going undercover—rideshare edition. Fresh off their Florida live shows, Hanna shares the unbelievable story an Uber driver told her on the way to soundcheck, involving a suspicious wife, some very unofficial private investigating, and a trip that takes an unexpected turn. Then, Mackenzie has a perfectly on-theme Undercover case of her own: when a woman starts questioning why her husband’s late-night Uber shifts aren’t quite adding up, Mackenzie hits the road to find out what he’s really doing behind the wheel. From suspicious passenger seats to questionable explanations and one very important piece of technology, this episode is a reminder that when your femmetuition says the math isn’t mathing, sometimes it pays to look a little closer.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been…

This week, a former private investigator comes on to share a story unlike anything we've covered before. Instead of uncovering red flags in her own relationship, she's desperately trying to save her daughter from a man she believes has built his entire life on deception. As she quietly begins investigating her daughter's new fiancé, she uncovers one shocking discovery after another, forcing her into an impossible position: how do you protect someone you love when they're determined not to believe the evidence in front of them? Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48863575/the-dating-detectives-live-orlando-funny-bone-comedy-club-orlando8/6 in Tampa:…

This week, Rachel shares the story of a whirlwind vacation romance that seemed almost too good to be true. What starts as a spontaneous Las Vegas fling quickly feels like something out of a rom-com when Rachel meets a charming stranger who insists on paying for everything—from luxury hotel stays to dinners and weekend getaways. But when she agrees to let him borrow a rental car for "just a few days," the fairytale begins to unravel. As missed texts turn into excuses and a simple favor spirals into a costly mess, Rachel finds herself uncovering a pattern that suggests her experience may not have been as unique as she thought. Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando:…

This week, a chance pandemic match seems to turn into the perfect relationship. Over the course of several years, Emily builds a life with a charming, successful partner who appears to check every box, earning the trust of her friends, her family, and eventually her future. But as plans for the next chapter of their lives begin to take shape, small inconsistencies start to surface, forcing Emily to question everything she thought she knew. In this episode, she shares an unbelievable story about deception, trust, and the lasting impact of discovering that someone may not be who they claimed to be.Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48863575/the-dating-detectives-live-orlando-funny-bone-comedy-club-orlando8/6 in Tampa:…

This week, Emily returns to share the next chapter of her story after an unthinkable boundary is crossed by the one person she trusted most. As the lines between therapy, manipulation, and control become increasingly blurred, the shocking betrayal evolves into a deeply complicated web of secrecy, dependency, and emotional abuse. Emily opens up about how grooming can reshape a person's reality, why leaving isn't as simple as it seems, and the lasting impact of being exploited by someone in a position of power. Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48863575/the-dating-detectives-live-orlando-funny-bone-comedy-club-orlando8/6 in Tampa:…

This week, our guest Emily shares a story unlike anything we've heard before. After surviving years of horrific abuse as a child, she finally finds what seems like a lifeline in the therapist who believes her when no one else will. But as that trusted relationship deepens over the years, subtle guidance begins to blur into something far more unsettling. What starts as a story of survival slowly transforms into a shocking examination of trust, power, and manipulation, raising impossible questions about what happens when the person meant to help you becomes someone you never thought to question.Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48863575/the-dating-detectives-live-orlando-funny-bone-comedy-club-orlando8/6 in Tampa:…

This week, Claire returns to continue the story she began last episode, and the warning signs that once seemed subtle become impossible to ignore. As the pressure inside her marriage continues to escalate, Claire shares how manipulation, shifting goalposts, and constant self-doubt slowly reshaped her reality, making it harder and harder to trust her own instincts. Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48863575/the-dating-detectives-live-orlando-funny-bone-comedy-club-orlando8/6 in Tampa: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/35010834/the-dating-detectives-live-tampa-funny-bone-comedy-club-tampaClick here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community…

This week our guest Claire shares the beginning of a relationship that seemed to have all the ingredients of a great love story: adventure, deep connection, and a partner who appeared thoughtful, supportive, and committed to growth. But as the years unfold, subtle moments of criticism, manipulation, and shifting power dynamics begin to reshape how Claire sees herself and her place in the relationship. In Part One of this powerful two-part story, Claire reflects on the early warning signs she missed, the ways coercion can hide behind self-improvement and good intentions, and how easy it is to lose trust in your own instincts when someone else becomes the authority on your reality.Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando:…

This week we have a wild Mackenzie Undercover story, but this time Mackenzie got all the tea doing her side hustle as a makeup artist, and then ended up in a PI dilemma. What starts as an ordinary makeup appointment quickly turns into a front-row seat to a web of secrets, suspicious behavior, and enough awkward tension to make anyone sweat. As Mackenzie finds herself in an unexpected ethical dilemma, she and Hannah unpack the blurry lines between gossip, intuition, and professional discretion, all while asking just how much can really be happening behind the scenes of a picture-perfect wedding.Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48863575/the-dating-detectives-live-orlando-funny-bone-comedy-club-orlando8/6 in Tampa:…

When Emma reconnects with a childhood family friend during a disaster relief deployment, she never expects to fall for a man who seems straight out of a movie. A decorated paramedic, respected leader, and real-life lifesaver, Adam is the kind of person everyone admires. As their relationship deepens, Emma finds herself swept into a world of grand gestures, heroic rescues, and unwavering devotion. But as small inconsistencies begin to surface, she’s left questioning whether the man she trusts most is really who he says he is. In Part 2 of this story, Emma shares how following her instincts led her to uncover a hidden life she never could have imagined—and the difficult lessons she learned about love, loyalty, and knowing when it's time to walk away.Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago:…

When Emma reconnects with a childhood family friend during a disaster relief deployment, she never expects to fall for a man who seems straight out of a movie. A decorated paramedic, respected leader, and real-life lifesaver, Adam is the kind of person everyone admires. As their relationship deepens, Emma finds herself swept into a world of grand gestures, heroic rescues, and unwavering devotion. But as small inconsistencies begin to surface, she’s left questioning whether the man she trusts most is really who he says he is. In Part 1 of this story, Emma shares how a romance that looked perfect from the outside slowly became impossible to ignore.Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando:…

This week on The Dating Detectives, Sarah—a therapist and longtime listener of the show—shares the story of a relationship that seemed perfect from the outside. After nearly a decade together, a shocking message forces her to question everything she thought she knew about her partner, sending her down a rabbit hole of secrets, deception, and unsettling discoveries. As Sarah unpacks the red flags she missed, the beliefs that kept her invested, and the hard lessons she learned about trust, identity, and self-worth, she offers a thoughtful and insightful perspective on what happens when the person you love turns out to be someone you never truly knew.Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando:…

This week on the Dating Detectives, a newlywed woman begins to suspect that her husband’s behavior is hiding something far darker than infidelity. What starts as mounting lies, manipulation, and emotional abuse quickly escalates into a terrifying story of control, violence, and survival. In part two of this deeply emotional conversation, she shares the shocking unraveling of her marriage, the moment everything finally came to light, and how she ultimately found the strength to escape. Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48863575/the-dating-detectives-live-orlando-funny-bone-comedy-club-orlando8/6 in Tampa: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/35010834/the-dating-detectives-live-tampa-funny-bone-comedy-club-tampaClick here to join our…

This week on the podcast, our guest Hannah shares the terrifying story of how a whirlwind romance that felt like a fairytale quickly unraveled into something far darker. After meeting a man on Hinge who seemed perfect in every way, the two fell fast, married within months, and began building what Hannah believed was her dream life. But when subtle behavioral changes and suspicious late nights started piling up, Hannah’s intuition led her into full detective mode — uncovering a shocking double life involving lies, manipulation, and escalating abuse. In this emotional and deeply intense first part of a two-part story, Hannah walks through the moment she realized the man she trusted was not who he claimed to be, and how quickly love can turn dangerous behind closed doors.Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago:…

On this week’s episode of the podcast, our guest Erica shares the shocking unraveling of a five-year relationship that seemed picture-perfect from the outside. What began as a Tinder romance filled with business success, engagement plans, and dreams of a future together slowly spiraled into jealousy, manipulation, and mounting red flags she tried desperately to explain away. But when an unexpected knock at the door exposes a devastating secret, she’s forced to confront the reality of the man she thought she knew.You can follow Erica and get rat man merch at @__ericamericaAre you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48863575/the-dating-detectives-live-orlando-funny-bone-comedy-club-orlando8/6 in Tampa:…

In this Mackenzie Undercover, a concerned mother hires Mackenzie after her daughter’s fiancé refuses to sign a prenup, and something about his over-the-top charm just doesn’t sit right. What starts as a quiet weekend surveillance job quickly turns into a tense, twisty investigation involving a mysterious woman, a gated condo, suspicious social media activity, and a discovery that could change the bride-to-be’s future. This episode digs into betrayal, intuition, and the painful truth that sometimes the people closest to us can see the red flags we’re not ready to face.Are you in the Chicago, Tampa, or Orlando area and want to come see us live?! Get your tickets at the links below:7/16 in Chicago: https://tickets.thedentheatre.com/event/dating-detectives-llpj8q?utm_source=performer&utm_medium=performerlink&utm_campaign=datingdetectives8/5 in Orlando: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/48863575/the-dating-detectives-live-orlando-funny-bone-comedy-club-orlando8/6 in Tampa:…

Happy Dating Detectives Monday! This week’s story follows Daniel, who thought he had built a life rooted in love, family, and hard-earned stability—until things slowly start to stop adding up. What begins as a fast-moving romance turns into decades of marriage, children, and financial ups and downs… but beneath it all, there are cracks forming that he can’t quite explain. Missing money, shifting stories, and a growing sense that something isn’t right lead Daniel down a path to discovering the shocking truth. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkCheck out our new sister podcast The Dating Debrief on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, or wherever you get your…

In this gripping continuation of Abby’s story, what begins as a fresh start quickly unravels into something far more complicated and unsettling. As her new marriage takes shape, subtle shifts in behavior raise questions about trust, control, and the reality behind closed doors. With her past still casting a long shadow, Abby finds herself navigating a relationship that feels increasingly unfamiliar, forcing her to confront difficult truths about love, independence, and the patterns we don’t always realize we’re repeating. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkThis episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by Jones Road Beauty. For a limited time our listeners…

In this deeply unsettling two-part story, Abby shares how growing up in the rigid, high-control world of IBLP shaped her understanding of love, obedience, and self-worth, and ultimately set the stage for a relationship she didn’t have the tools to question. From a childhood defined by isolation, fear, and forced compliance, to a young adulthood marked by loneliness, manipulation, and a desperate search for safety, Abby’s story reveals how early indoctrination can blur the line between devotion and control. As she begins to break free from her upbringing she meets a man who seems to offer everything she’s been missing. But as their whirlwind relationship accelerates into engagement and marriage, subtle red flags begin to surface, leaving listeners to wonder: is this finally love, or just another version of the control she’s always known? This is Part 1 of Abby’s story—and trust us, it only gets more complicated from here. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a…

This week on The Dating Detectives, the hosts sit down with Sydnee, a resilient mother whose seemingly safe, stable relationship with a “gentle giant” slowly unravels into a chilling double life filled with deception, manipulation, and emotional abuse. What begins as a story of healing and unexpected love takes a dark turn as Sydnee uncovers years of secret behavior, gaslighting, and control—but by then, she’s already given up her independence to become a stay-at-home mom, leaving her financially and socially trapped in a life she can’t escape. As she fights to protect her children and rebuild her autonomy from the ground up, Sydnee shares a powerful story of survival that exposes how abuse doesn’t always look the way we expect—and how quickly trust, love, and dependence can become a cage if you’re not careful.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that,…

This week on The Dating Detectives, we hear Tracy Hall’s jaw-dropping story of dating one of Australia's most notorious con men. What begins as a seemingly healthy, slow-burn romance with a supportive, emotionally intelligent partner turns into a shocking unraveling of identity, trust, and financial security when Tracy discovers the man she loved never existed at all. As she pieces together an 18-month relationship built on meticulous lies, Tracy shares how even the smartest, most capable people can be targeted, manipulated, and ultimately betrayed—and how she fought to rebuild her life in the aftermath. This episode is a powerful reminder that scams don’t look like scams when you’re inside them. Stick around for the Dogfish Debrief for more insights, and if you want to go deeper, check out Tracy’s book The Last Victim, and the hit Australian podcast that dives deep into all of Hamish's crimes, Who the Hell is Hamish? Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month,…

On this week’s Dating Detectives, Mackenzie and Hanna are joined by Talia Koren, host of the podcast Dating Intentionally, for a Mackenzie Undercover story that turns into a conversation about intuition, insecurity, red flags, and what it really means to date with purpose. As Mackenzie investigates a man’s growing suspicion that his much younger girlfriend is hiding something, the episode unfolds into an insightful look at trust, cheating, and the difference between anxiety and real intuition. Talia brings practical, no-nonsense dating advice to balance out the chaos, making this episode equal parts wild undercover case and genuinely helpful dating conversation. Want more of Talia? Listen to her podcast by searching Dating Intentionally on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Talia on Instagram at @dating.intentionallyClick here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now…

When a whirlwind romance starts moving fast, it can be hard to tell the difference between genuine connection and something that’s just a little too good to be true. In this episode, Claire shares the second part of her story about a relationship that seemed exciting, promising, and full of big plans until small details started to feel… off. As the Dating Detectives dig into the strange moments, unanswered questions, and gut instincts Claire couldn’t shake, a much bigger picture begins to emerge. What starts as a confusing dating story quickly spirals into something far stranger, raising unsettling questions about identity, truth, and how far someone might go to keep a carefully constructed narrative alive.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email…

This week on The Dating Detectives, Hanna and Mackenzie are joined by Claire, a single mom in Canada, who walks us through an intense, whirlwind connection with “Ryan,” a charming Hinge match who presents as a high-powered real estate executive and quickly positions himself as her protector—showing up with grand gestures, inserting himself into moments of stress, and escalating intimacy at lightning speed. But as the weeks unfold, the relationship becomes a nonstop crisis carousel: mysterious medical emergencies, shadowy enemies, workplace drama, a “secret” elopement plan with endless missing documents, and increasingly unbelievable danger—until a chilling Halloween-eve message from Ryan’s father detonates everything. It’s a jaw-dropping Part One that will have you screaming at your headphones… and counting down for the reveal in Part Two.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a…

What starts as a workplace mentorship between a young, ambitious HR assistant and her intimidating, high-powered boss quickly spirals into a secret relationship. In this explosive two-part Dating Detectives episode, Kayla shares how validation turned into flirtation, flirtation into obsession, and obsession into a web of escalating emergencies, whispered promises, and suspicious tragedies that always seemed to surface at just the right moment. As she uproots her life, distances herself from her support system, and risks her career and finances for a future she believes is real, the cracks in her partner’s stories grow harder to ignore—yet the love bombing only intensifies. By the time a frantic late-night demand forces Kayla to choose between logic and loyalty, the stakes are no longer just emotional—they’re life-altering.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get…

What starts as a workplace mentorship between a young, ambitious HR assistant and her intimidating, high-powered boss quickly spirals into a secret relationship. In this explosive two-part Dating Detectives episode, Kayla shares how validation turned into flirtation, flirtation into obsession, and obsession into a web of escalating emergencies, whispered promises, and suspicious tragedies that always seemed to surface at just the right moment. As she uproots her life, distances herself from her support system, and risks her career and finances for a future she believes is real, the cracks in her partner’s stories grow harder to ignore—yet the love bombing only intensifies. By the time a frantic late-night demand forces Kayla to choose between logic and loyalty, the stakes are no longer just emotional—they’re life-altering.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get…

In this episode of Dating Detectives, Mackenzie and Hanna are joined by “Anna,” a guest from the UK who shares how a relationship that began with charm, intensity, and big promises slowly became something far more disorienting. As subtle red flags stack up and the lines between care, control, and manipulation blur, Anna finds herself questioning her instincts, her memories, and even her sense of self. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkGet control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code DATING at MonarchMoney.com in your browser (not app) for half off your first year!Take control of your data today. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan by visiting…

This week on Dating Detectives, Mackenzie and Hanna begin by having an open discussing about last weeks episode and the controversy that surrounded it. As a team we felt that where we failed was in our response to Lena in the moment, and in failing to lead a more nuanced discussion in the dogfish debrief about how and why victims sometimes become perpetrators. Then it’s time for a chaotic, can’t-make-this-up Mackenzie Undercover: Mackenzie is hired to surveil a private investigator suspected of faking his hours, and what she finds is an inside-job Dogfish in broad daylight.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkThis episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by…

A milestone birthday trip to Turkey is supposed to be Lena’s main-character moment: sunrise photos at a historic mosque, solo-traveler bliss, and a little flirtation that feels harmless—until it turns into a full-blown romance-and-tariff scam run by a charming “uncle,” a too-good-to-be-true heartthrob, and a pressure-cooker handoff that leaves Lena scrambling for a flight… and suddenly out tens of thousands of dollars. But just when the story seems destined for the familiar ending, Lena snaps out of the shame spiral, flips the power dynamic, and goes on a creative, scorched-earth mission to get her money back—leading to one of the most unexpected outcomes we’ve ever had on the show. This one is wild, infuriating, darkly funny, and ultimately empowering.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to…

A family mystery that lingered for generations finally cracks open in this mind-bending episode of Dating Detectives. What begins with a single, unexpected phone call pulls Taylor—and listeners—into a decades-long story that starts with her grandfather vanishing without a trace in 1952. As an unlikely kind of investigator begins pulling at one loose thread after another, a long-buried truth slowly comes into focus, forcing Taylor and her family to reconsider everything they thought they knew. It’s a story that asks a haunting question: how far can one person’s deception reach, and how long can its impact echo across generations after a disappearance becomes family legend?Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or…

Join us for the juiciest Mackenzie Undercover story yet! What starts as a consensual surrogacy arrangement between two married couples, meant to be loving, transparent, and drama-free, quickly takes a turn when strange messages, broken rules, and suspicious “errands” begin stacking up. Mackenzie is then brought in to investigate and get to the bottom of the secrets and lies that plagued this surrogacy for nine months. The story spirals into a jaw-dropping tangle of secrets, shifting alliances, and behavior that is truly stranger than fiction. This episode is messy, shocking, and impossible to predict—and it will absolutely have you yelling “WHAT?!” out loud.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us…

In this Dating Detectives episode we talk to Mary, a devoted true-crime fan who believed she knew every red flag—until she found herself pulled into an online connection that felt unusually thoughtful, emotionally intimate, and too real to ignore. What begins on Bumble slowly moves off-app, where charm, consistency, and shared vulnerability blur the line between intuition and overthinking. As subtle cracks begin to show, Mary uncovers a truth far darker and more sophisticated than a typical romance scam. This episode explores modern crypto romance fraud, emotional manipulation, and how even the most informed daters can be targeted, revealing why sometimes a bad feeling is more than enough reason to walk away.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email…

On the final Dating Detectives Monday of the year, Mackenzie and Hanna celebrate nearly three years of sleuthing with a classic PI Undercover episode, this time featuring private investigator Helen, business partner to fan-favorite Ken. Helen shares her journey into the PI world and takes us deep into a jaw-dropping case involving an out-of-state client, a glamorous LA girlfriend, and a web of lies that unraveled into a full-blown Dogfish discovery. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkGet control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code DATING at MonarchMoney.com in your browser (not app) for half off your first year!***The following Program contains names,…

In today’s Dating Detectives episode, Hannah and Mackenzie are joined by two sisters, Tessa and Lena, who share the heartbreaking story of their mom and the dangerous “healer” who charmed his way into her life. What starts as a new spiritual interest turns into something far darker: a charismatic grifter who peddles bogus “energy readings,” pushes conspiracy-fueled medical misinformation, and steadily isolates their mother from her family, right as serious illness enters the picture. As their mothers health deteriorates and a cancer diagnosis becomes impossible to ignore, the sisters watch in horror as her husband discourages treatment, undermines doctors, and replaces real care with reckless “natural” remedies, leaving them scrambling to protect their mom and regain control of her medical decisions. This is part two of a two-part story about spiritual manipulation, medical abuse, and what it feels like to fight for someone you love when they’ve been convinced the danger is actually the cure.Click here to…

In today’s Dating Detectives episode, Hannah and Mackenzie are joined by two sisters, Tessa and Lena, who share the heartbreaking story of their mom and the dangerous “healer” who charmed his way into her life. What starts as a new spiritual interest turns into something far darker: a charismatic grifter who peddles bogus “energy readings,” pushes conspiracy-fueled medical misinformation, and steadily isolates their mother from her family, right as serious illness enters the picture. As their mothers health deteriorates and a cancer diagnosis becomes impossible to ignore, the sisters watch in horror as her husband discourages treatment, undermines doctors, and replaces real care with reckless “natural” remedies, leaving them scrambling to protect their mom and regain control of her medical decisions. This is part one of a two-part story about spiritual manipulation, medical abuse, and what it feels like to fight for someone you love when they’ve been convinced the danger is actually the cure.Click here to…

In this wild new episode of The Dating Detectives, Hannah and Mackenzie sit down with a guest whose dating app romance took a turn so shocking, you’ll be yelling at your phone. What started as the perfect match quickly spiraled into a maze of fear, manipulation, and unbelievable claims, including her boyfriend insisting he was part of the Russian mafia. As red flags pile up and his stories grow darker, Susan finds herself trapped in a reality that feels more like a crime thriller than a relationship. This episode is emotional, infuriating, and impossible to stop listening to. If you’ve ever ignored a gut feeling or fallen for someone who seemed “too good to be true,” this one’s going to hit hard. Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email…

In this weeks episode of The Dating Detectives, Hanna and Mackenzie bring back fan-favorite, LA private investigator Ken Childs, for a wild night on surveillance. When a wife hires Ken to figure out why her self-employed husband keeps disappearing until 2 a.m., the case leads him from a seemingly normal workday to a string of Triple-X adult store parking lots in Orange County, where he ultimately discovers the husband has an unexpected secret.Click here to join our Patreon! For only $5 a month you will get 2 extra episodes a month, monthly virtual live events, and access to our community page. And now for $9 a month you can get all of that, plus ad free episodes!If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email investigate@thedatingdetectivespodcast.com or contact us through our website using this linkTake control of your data today. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan by visiting joindeleteme.com/datingdetectives and using the promo code TDD at checkout. This episode is sponsored by Baked…