The Dating Detectives

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 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 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. 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.  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 Baked By Melissa. Get 20% off your order by going to bakedbymelissa.com/datingdetectives. 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.

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 [email protected] or contact us through our website using this link 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. This episode is sponsored by SKIMS. Shop the SKIMS Fits Everybody Collection at SKIMS.com. After you place your order be sure to let them know we sent you by filling out the survey! ***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.

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 [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.  Looking to level up your style this year? Try out Daily Look for fashion crafted by your own personal stylist. Go to https://www.dailylook.com/ and use code DATINGDETECTIVES to get 50% off your first order   ***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.

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 [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 BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/tdd today to get 10% off your first month Make this spring your most delicious yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50datingdetectives and use code 50datingdetectives to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. 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.

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 [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! ***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.