True Lovefraud Stories

Yes, women absolutely can have exploitative personality disorders, although the symptoms manifest differently than they do in men. Amber Ault, Ph. D., a sociologist and licensed clinical social worker, describes the manipulative behavior of female sociopaths — they tend to engage in less physical violence, and more emotional or psychological violence. Amber explains why this is so shocking to thei...

As a social worker, “Emma” was trained in psychology, mental health and personality disorders. Still, she had blind spots when it came to her personal life. Even though she had misgivings about her new girlfriend, “Taylor,” she ignored her moral compass. In the end, the relationship cost Emma her job, her home, almost all her possessions, and her very sense of self. Female sociopaths, she learned,...

Narcissists have a reputation for being entitled, attention-seeking blowhards, and most of them are. A subset of narcissists, however, believe they are just as entitled to whatever they want but display it differently. In this episode, Dr. Marni Feuerman explains “covert narcissists” — people who use more subtle strategies as they manipulate others. She discusses how this disordered behavior affec...

“Katherine” thought she was in a relationship with “Jay,” but now she describes it as a “situationship.” Or a “manipulationship.” Jay was a personal trainer at her gym. He eased her into a sexual liaison, which he insisted must be kept secret or he’d lose his job. It went on for two years. Then when Katherine learned the real reason why he wanted to keep secrets, she was devastated. To learn how t...

Growing up with a self-centered, indifferent or neglectful mother is more than psychologically damaging. Kate Munden, an integrative therapist from the UK, explains that this treatment is actually narcissistic abuse, and it affects a child’s personality development and nervous system. But, Kate says, it is possible to slowly, gently, unwind the damage as an adult and move forward to a full and hap...

Mom was always cold, indifferent and critical. At a fairly young age, “Charlotte,” her daughter, figured out that the woman was not a good mother. But after two family tragedies, Charlotte saw that her mother wasn’t just mean, she was evil. And then she realized the effect of her mother’s disorder on her own life. To learn how to recognize and recover from everyday sociopaths, visit Lovefraud.com....

Many people who endure narcissistic abuse end up trauma bonded to their abuser. Psychologist Carla Shohet explains that this is a psychological and physiological bond — literally an addiction. Recovery requires more than talk therapy, she says. Traumatic memories and mistaken beliefs become trapped in the body, and they need to be gently removed from the body. Carla describes several methods that...

“Sarah” had a history of abusive relationships. “Tim” seemed so different —he was a handsome, high-ranking military officer who was soft spoken, attentive and caring. But slowly he became controlling and violent. Sarah was so trauma bonded that even though she knew Tim was dangerous, she couldn’t leave. “I couldn’t live with him and I couldn’t live without him,” she said.

What’s it really like to be involved with a sociopath, narcissist or psychopath? I'm Donna Andersen, author of Lovefraud.com, and this podcast answers that question. In these riveting podcasts, people who were unknowingly targeted by con artists of love describe how they were seduced, deceived and ultimately betrayed.  They’re sharing their stories so you can learn the warning signs of pathologica...

In a recent True Lovefraud Stories podcast, a man wanted to marry a woman with assets — and he did. The guy came into the marriage with nothing, and in the divorce a few years later, left with $4 million in property. Attorney Jolee Vacchi explains what you need to know about property rights in divorce, and how to protect yourself from a scheming spouse. Resources Jolee E. Vacchi Foundations Family...

After two divorces, “Patricia” knew exactly what she was looking for in a man, and with “Jeffrey,” she thought she found it. He served heroically in the military yet was tender and cuddly. He was a Christian who listened when God spoke to him. But slowly Jeffrey’s behavior changed, and his true nefarious intentions were revealed.

Abusers use a variety of tactics to manipulate their targets, and one of them is guilt. Mandy Friedman, LPCC-S, CCDVC, CCTP, a counselor who specializes in treating victims of abuse, wants survivors to know that guilt is a red flag. It may mean that you’re being manipulated now, or that you’re replaying old tapes from the past in which you were manipulated. Mandy explains how to figure out why you...

When “Avery” married “Jonathan,” she thought she was marrying her best friend. On their honeymoon, he wanted her to buy a creepy stuffed goat head — the first of his many unreasonable demands. No matter how hard Avery tried to please Jonathan, he kept claiming she was causing his anxiety and he'll kill himself because of her. And then Avery learned the truth about her husband.

Travis Vining could no longer function in life. He suffered back pain, migraine headaches, weight loss and nosebleeds. Finally, in desperation, Travis asked if God were real, and if so, could He help. In time, Travis found recovery through acceptance and forgiveness. He also recovered repressed memories of why he felt so tormented — his father’s unspeakable criminal behavior.

“Kathy” was 17, bright, pretty, wealthy — and totally unaware that others might want to take advantage of her. She met “Rick” at church, and he saw a juicy target — a naïve young girl with money. He told her God wanted them to be together. Unfortunately, Kathy believed him.

Donna Andersen wants the world to know that millions of sociopaths live among us and do not have the ability to authentically love. She shared her message at a TEDx event in 2022 and her presentation was well-received. But TED never posted her video on its website, and never explained why. Donna even supplied an annotated script with scientific citations for everything she said. No response. Final...

Tracy Malone, author of the popular website NarcissistAbuseSupport.com, coaches people who are trying to divorce disordered spouses. One of the most important things people in this situation need to understand, she says, is that the person you married isn’t the person you thought they were. They will lie and make false accusations. So you need to be clear about what you want from the divorce, and...

“Janet” had five children with “Anthony.” Although she believed that marriage was for better or worse, the gaslighting, emotional cruelty and financial irresponsibility eventually became unbearable. Then one day the cops were called, she and the kids had a chance to escape.

Anyone can be targeted by a sociopath at any point in their lives. But Dr. Liane Leedom explains that men and women who experience abuse during mid-life have much to lose and often a more difficult recovery. She then describes skills that can help survivors overcome the experience.

“Mark” made false accusations against his wife, “Renee,” that landed her in jail. That was just the opening round —as they divorced, and even after their divorce, he continued to harass her. But Renee stood strong, escaped and turned her ordeal into an opportunity to show compassion to others.  Resources Information on California Assembly Bill 2391 protecting domestic violence victims from vexatio...

At a high school reunion, “Renee,” a widow, encountered “Mark,” whom she’d once had a crush on. Mark convinced her that God had reunited them, so even though her gut was warning her to be cautious, Renee allowed herself to be caught up in the romance. But as soon as they married, Mark’s behavior became weird — and abusive.

Dr. Dan Jones, associate professor at the University of Nevada Reno, is an expert in the Dark Triad and Dark Tetrad personality traits. These are Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy and sadism. Dr. Dan Jones explains how these callous and manipulative people operate. He also suggests how you may be able to use their own strategies against them, at least temporarily. Resources Dr. Dan Jones w...

Carlo Giovanni Malozzi has a history of exploiting women — Lovefraud has already done three episodes about him. When did this behavior pattern start? One woman was actually married to him more than 12 years ago, and in this podcast, she tells her story. She avoided the financial abuse that he inflicted upon his other targets. But what she did endure was worse.

In our last episode about Carlo Giovanni Malozzi, “My car broke down,” he’d conned a woman in Florida and then left the state. Next, he moved to Arizona, where he joined a church. Judith, a member of the church, met Carlo at a Christian singles event. He quickly charmed her, and then exploited her. She wasn’t his only target.

Joan Kloth-Zanard, an expert in the psychological abuse of children and founder of PAS-intervention.org, explains why parents need to be cautious about reporting child abuse. If there is no verifiable evidence, state child protection agencies may not believe the allegations, with dire consequences.