A few years ago, I read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, which was the #1 New York Times bestseller when it was published in 2007. Gilbert tells her story of supposedly having everything career, marriage, home yet feeling depressed and unhappy. She left it all, got a divorce, and then spent a year abroad to find herself. She ate her way through Italy, studied spiritual practice in India, and sought to balance pleasure and divinity in Indonesia. While going through her divorce, Gilbert had a relationship with a man whom she calls "David." This didn't seem to be a sociopathic relationship, just normally dysfunctional. Although they broke up, Gilbert, from time to time, pined for David. …
With gratitude on Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to all Lovefraud readers! On this special day, I am grateful for: All of you Lovefraud readers, who so generously share your stories, support and advice to new survivors who visit our site. All of Lovefraud's talented webinar instructors, who share their expertise and wisdom to help you overcome your challenges. Our talented webmaster, Dave Rodrigues, who solves our technical problems. (If you tried to visit yesterday and Lovefraud was down, it is because we were under attack by multiple IP addresses. We have no idea why.) My wonderful husband, Terry Kelly, who offers wonderful support for me and all of Lovefraud. (He also made a killer Pumpkin Chiffon Mousse …
Why 14,347 donors gave more than $400,000 to a fake campaign to help a homeless vet
In this video from August, Megyn Kelly of Good Morning America interviews Katelyn McClure and her boyfriend, Michael D'Amico, about the more than $400,000 they raised for a homeless vet. Right there on national TV, they are lying. In November 2017, according to McClure, she was driving on I-95 in Philadelphia when she ran out of gas in a bad neighborhood. She got out of her car, and was about to walk to get gas, when a homeless veteran who panhandled on the side of the road told her it wasn't safe — she should stay in her car. Johnny Bobbitt walked to a gas station, and using his last 20 dollars, bought her gas so she could get home safely. McClure and her boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, said …
Why 14,347 donors gave more than $400,000 to a fake campaign to help a homeless vetRead More
Signs of a sociopath: Ed Shin on trial for murdering his business partner
A Lovefraud reader sent me a link about Edward Shin, 40, who is currently on trial in Orange County, California. He is charged with murdering his business partner, Chris Smith. News accounts of the case include clues that Shin may be a sociopath. In June 2010, Smith was a 33-year-old entrepreneur and surfer with an oceanfront apartment, a serious girlfriend and a bright future. He and Shin were partners in a company called 800XChange, which focused on debt consolidation. They were making a lot of money. Then, Smith's family began receiving emails — he had always wanted to escape a mundane existence, and he had decided to cash in and go on a travel adventure. According to Smith's e …
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Recovery from the sociopath through self-forgiveness
The sociopath devastated your life, and you feel like it's all your fault. In this webinar you learn that through understanding and gentle self-forgiveness, you can put down the burden of guilt and find peace. Travis Vining, the instructor, teaches from his heart — and from experience. His father was a serial killer who pressured Travis to help cover up his crimes. Talk about guilt! It was so traumatic that Travis repressed the memories for years. Finally, in a reflective and spiritual way, Travis found peace. In this webinar, he shares his approach with you. Click for more information: Self-forgiveness: Understanding and letting go of guilt …
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Social worker charged in plot to hire hit man
So today I open up the newspaper and see that a local therapist, Diane Sylvia, 58, attempted to hire a hit man. She wanted a guy's "pretty little face" bashed in. She also wanted his arm broken, so he could no longer work out. Diane Sylvia is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in Somers Point, New Jersey. According to her title, she is also a certified domestic violence counselor. One of Sylvia's clients had belonged to a criminal gang. She asked him if he knew anyone who could do the job. The client notified the authorities, who then wanted him to introduce Sylvia to a hit man — except that it was really an undercover FBI agent. Sylvia claimed that the man, who lived in M …
Utah track athlete shot by ex-boyfriend who lied about his name, age, and sex-offender status
The story of University of Utah track athlete Lauren McCluskey, 21, is a tragedy from beginning to end. She started dating Melvin S. Rowland in September. A month later, she found out who he really was — a 37-year old sex offender who had recently been paroled. When Lauren broke off their relationship, Rowland stalked her. Then, on October 22, he shot and killed her, leaving her body in a car on campus. He fled and later killed himself. Here's a timeline of the events in the extortion and shooting death of University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey, on SLTrib.com When Lauren McCluskey first reported Rowland, the university police did not open an investigation immediately. They also …
Philippe Padieu gave 13 women HIV, but they fought back and put him in jail
Diane Reeve dated Philippe Padieu for four years, but when he failed to show up at her daughter's wedding reception, discovered that he was cheating on her. Because she was paying for his cell phone, she checked his phone records and found that Padieu's cheating was rampant. She called the other women to tell them the truth. Then Diane, who was a martial arts instructor, started feeling tired. She thought she was just getting older. Soon she spoke with one of Padieu's other girlfriends. It turned out that they both had HIV. The women searched for other victims, and eventually found 13 infected women. They reported the situation to the police, and in 2009, Philippe Padieu was …
Philippe Padieu gave 13 women HIV, but they fought back and put him in jailRead More
As you recover from the sociopath, remember to live
For many of us, when we finally disengage from the sociopath, our lives are in shambles. We aren't just trying to recover from a broken heart due to the sociopath's unconscionable betrayal. We may also need to recover from financial devastation, ruined relationships with family and friends, lost jobs, lost businesses, lost homes, stress-related illness and the aftershocks of psychological manipulation. No wonder we feel like zombies. Where do we start? How do we rebuild our lives? In the beginning, our focus is rightfully on crisis management. We make sure we have shelter, food, financial support. We must find solutions for the basic issues of survival. Eventually, the crisis …
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Asian cops bust S$19 million love scam syndicate
Cops in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong take Internet romance scams seriously — which is more than I can say for U.S. and European authorities. Asian cops just busted a love scam crime ring that had swindled victims out of more than Singapore $19.45 million (US$14.08 million). Officers arrested 19 suspects in the same syndicate: 15 Malaysian women, 1 Malaysian man, 2 Nigerian men and 1 Chinese woman. Did you catch that? The people doing the scamming were mostly women! These suspects swindled 146 people. Eight of the victims in Singapore lost more than $450,000. Love scam syndicate worth nearly S$20 million crippled by authorities in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, on B …