
The Tinder Swindler: 7 Red Flags
02/20/22 • 17 min
The Tinder Swindler is a fascinating Netflix documentary about a serial romance scammer who took each of his "girlfriends" for more than $100,000 each. In this episode, we look at what we can learn from The Tinder Swindler, going beyond the easy "blame the victim" mentality to show how effective such scams can be, and to point out the individual red flags you should watch out for in any new romance.
Resources for this episode:
- The Tinder Swindler documentary on Netflix
- Tinder Dating Safety Tips
- GoFundMe for Tinder Swindler victims
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Join our Patreon to listen ad-free!
The Tinder Swindler is a fascinating Netflix documentary about a serial romance scammer who took each of his "girlfriends" for more than $100,000 each. In this episode, we look at what we can learn from The Tinder Swindler, going beyond the easy "blame the victim" mentality to show how effective such scams can be, and to point out the individual red flags you should watch out for in any new romance.
Resources for this episode:
- The Tinder Swindler documentary on Netflix
- Tinder Dating Safety Tips
- GoFundMe for Tinder Swindler victims
How Hacks Happen is ad-free because we rely on our listeners for support.
Join our Patreon to listen ad-free!
Previous Episode

Sony Hack
The hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2014 was one of the most bizarre crimes of the decade. Instead of demanding money, the hackers threatened a terrorist attack on the USA if Sony didn't cancel the release of the film 'The Interview,' a comedy about two bumbling journalists who travel to North Korea and attempt to assassinate the country's Supreme Leader. The release went forward anyway, and thankfully, the threats came to nothing. Enjoy the terrible English in the hackers' written threats against 'The Sony,' and Michele's terrible attempts at reading them aloud in a North Korean accent.
Resources for this episode:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30512032https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/10/the-untold-story-of-the-sony-hack
https://www.vox.com/2015/1/20/18089084/sony-hack-north-korea
https://www.vox.com/2014/12/16/7403437/sony-hacks-threats
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/north-korea
https://www.operationblockbuster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Operation-Blockbuster-Report.pdf
https://www.mandiant.com/resources/apt38-details-on-new-north-korean-regime-backed-threat-group
https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/6/17826722/north-korea-sony-hack-wannacry-charges
https://www.jhuapl.edu/Content/documents/SonyNightmareBeforeChristmas.pdf
https://www.jhuapl.edu/Content/documents/SonyNightmareBeforeChristmas.pdf
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/10/the-untold-story-of-the-sony-hack
https://thinkst.com/ts/free/ThinkstScapes-2014-AH4-Trial.pdf
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TVU: Staying Safe Through Entertainment
What we can we learn about hacks, scams, and fraud from TV shows and movies? Plenty, as it turns out. Fictional shows, documentaries, podcasts, and other types of entertainment are a treasure trove of knowledge. Don't discount the education you can get about scams, con games, legal proceedings, police procedure, and other aspects of safety, all while being thoroughly entertained.
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How Hacks Happen - The Tinder Swindler: 7 Red Flags
Transcript
The Tinder Swindler: 7 Red Flags
Michele Bousquet 0:02
You may have heard of a new Netflix documentary called The Tinder Swindler, a fascinating story of a multimillion dollar romance scam that was so well thought out and expertly executed. Today's episode is about what we can learn from The Tinder Swindler story to keep ourselves safer.
Michele Bousquet 0:23
Now, here's a spoiler alert. If you haven't seen The Tinder Swindler yet, this podcast episode contains spoilers. Go see
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