How I Was Scammed by a Man Who Never Existed
How I Was Scammed by a Man Who Never Existed episode 6
Episode 6: What Healing Looks Like It’s been ten months since I last heard from James—or whoever he really was. Ten months since the day I found out that the man I thought I loved didn’t exist.That the late-night calls, the love notes, the crypto investments, the dreams of a second chance… were nothing but […]
Read MoreHow I Was Scammed by a Man Who Never Existed episode 5
Episode 5: Turning Pain Into Power They say pain changes you.And I believe it.But it also awakens you. The experience with James—or whatever his real name was—left me gutted. Humiliated. But as the weeks passed, that pain began to evolve. From shame… into something else. Anger. Clarity. Purpose. I realized this wasn’t just my story. […]
Read MoreHow I Was Scammed by a Man Who Never Existed episode 4
Episode 4: The Shame of Silence In the days after James disappeared, the silence was louder than any heartbreak I’d ever known. I stopped going out. Stopped answering calls. I even skipped two shifts at work—a first in my 18-year nursing career. I didn’t want to explain what happened. I didn’t want anyone to know. […]
Read MoreHow I Was Scammed by a Man Who Never Existed episode 3
Episode 3: The Mask Falls I stared at my phone, at the photo of Rodrigo Almeida, the Brazilian architect who had no idea his face had been used to rob me blind. My mind went blank. Then hot. Then cold.A million pieces of conversations, “James’” voice notes, his promises, his warmth—everything—fell apart like a broken […]
Read MoreHow I Was Scammed by a Man Who Never Existed episode 2
Episode 2: The Slippery Slope When I sent that first $200 to James, it didn’t even feel like a “favor.” It felt like something you do for someone you care about—especially when that person has made you feel seen in a way no one else has for years. He was grateful. He said he hated […]
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How I Was Scammed by a Man Who Never Existed
A Coolvalstories Production Episode 1: The Search for Love My name is Catherine Miller. I’m 47, a registered nurse from Columbus, Ohio, and a mother of two grown kids. After 18 years of marriage, I found myself suddenly single again. The divorce wasn’t dramatic—just two people who outgrew each other, and a quiet signing of […]
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