The Dating Detectives

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.
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This episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by OSEA. Get 10% off your first order site-wide with code DATINGDETECTIVES at oseamalibu.com.
This episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/TDD.
This episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by Green Chef. Get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months at greenchef.com/50datingdetectives with code 50datingdetectives.
This episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by DeleteMe. Get 20% off your plan at joindeleteme.com/datingdetectives with code TDD.
This episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by Coyuchi. Get 15% off your first order at coyuchi.com/datingdetectives.
***The following Program contains names, places and events that have been anonymized or fictionalized for the purposes of protection and safety. The following Program is provided for entertainment purposes only and any commentary from the hosts are strictly conjecture and should not be held as making any definitive statements about the truth or identity of any particular individuals or circumstances.
If you or a loved one are involved in an abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for support.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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, plus ad free episodes!
If you've been dogfished and want to share your story on the show, email [email protected] or contact us through our website using this link
Get control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code DATING at MonarchMoney.com in your browser (not app) for half off your first year!
This episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by Ava. Rebuild your credit fast with no interest, no credit check, with AVA. Download the AVA app and use promo code DATING. Rebuild your credit fast with no interest, no credit check, with AVA. Download the AVA app and use promo code DATING.
***The following Program contains names, places and events that have been anonymized or fictionalized for the purposes of protection and safety. The following Program is provided for entertainment purposes only and any commentary from the hosts are strictly conjecture and should not be held as making any definitive statements about the truth or identity of any particular individuals or circumstances.
If you or a loved one are involved in an abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for support.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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, 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 [email protected] or contact us through our website using this link
Take 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 Shopify. Sign up today for your one dollar per month trial at shopify.com/datingdetectives
***The following Program contains names, places and events that have been anonymized or fictionalized for the purposes of protection and safety. The following Program is provided for entertainment purposes only and any commentary from the hosts are strictly conjecture and should not be held as making any definitive statements about the truth or identity of any particular individuals or circumstances.
If you or a loved one are involved in an abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for support.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.intentionally
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 [email protected] or contact us through our website using this link
Take 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 Wayfair. Refresh your home for less. Shop back-to-routine deals by visiting Wayfair.com.
***The following Program contains names, places and events that have been anonymized or fictionalized for the purposes of protection and safety. The following Program is provided for entertainment purposes only and any commentary from the hosts are strictly conjecture and should not be held as making any definitive statements about the truth or identity of any particular individuals or circumstances.
If you or a loved one are involved in an abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for support.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 [email protected] or contact us through our website using this link
This episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by Jones Road Beauty. For a limited time our listeners are getting a free Cool Gloss on their first purchase when they use code DATINGDETECTIVES at checkout. Head to jonesroadbeauty.com to get yours today!
This episode of The Dating Detectives is sponsored by Ava. Rebuild your credit fast with no interest, no credit check, with AVA. Download the AVA app and use promo code DATING. Rebuild your credit fast with no interest, no credit check, with AVA. Download the AVA app and use promo code DATING.
Get control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code DATING at MonarchMoney.com in your browser (not app) for half off your first year!
This episode is sponsored by Miracle Made. Get silver-infused, bacteria-fighting, temperature-regulating sheets and towels at TryMiracle.com/TDD and use code TDD to save over 40% and claim a FREE 3-piece towel set.
***The following Program contains names, places and events that have been anonymized or fictionalized for the purposes of protection and safety. The following Program is provided for entertainment purposes only and any commentary from the hosts are strictly conjecture and should not be held as making any definitive statements about the truth or identity of any particular individuals or circumstances.
If you or a loved one are involved in an abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for support.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.