Last week, my picture was on the front page of the Press of Atlantic City. There I was in a teaser above the masthead. “The high cost of love,” it said. “An area woman’s story of how Internet love connections can breed impostors who take you for all you’re worth.”
The story itself was on the front page of the “Life” section. There I was again, in a full-color close-up shot across the entire top of the page, with the headline, “Winning their hearts, taking their money.” Another photo showed my computer, displaying the Lovefraud.com story about my ex-husband, James Montgomery, who I believe is a sociopath. Scattered on the keyboard was his collection of fake military ID cards—like Special Forces and Delta Force.
In a 2,000 word article, reporter Meggan Clark told my story—how I was defrauded, and how I launched Lovefraud.com. She also spoke to Donna Layne Roberts, whose ex-husband, William Barber, defrauded her and left her homeless. Barber is believed to have married at least 12 women, and spent six months in a New Jersey prison.
Clark interviewed a psychology professor at Rutgers University about sociopaths and Rhoda Cook of the website, Citizens United to Find Fugitives. Sandra Phipps was also interviewed about the National Marriage Database petition.
Read the article.
Reactions
My goal is to educate the public about the dangers of sociopaths. So I initiated the story by sending a press release to the reporter. But I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the extent of the coverage. I am grateful to the Press.
What was the reaction of my friends? No one said I shouldn’t have done it. Everyone who contacted me applauded my courage.
“I think you’re really a brave person,” said my friend, Jack. “I think you did a marvelous job. It’s really outstanding to have a spread like that in your hometown paper.”
“I know it takes a lot of courage to put that out there, and I know how much angst and pain and baloney you went through with this whole process,” said my friend, Valerie. “A triumph for you to get the word out. Good for you.”
I also got a call from a stranger. He wanted to know if I’d like to meet a nice man with money. He must not have read the entire article, because it said that I have remarried.
Are you willing to tell your story?
Most people still have no idea that sociopaths exist, and how destructive they are. One reason is because the people who have been victimized are so embarrassed that they are unwilling to talk about it. Consequently, the public is not aware of the extent of the problem.
It’s time for that to change.
I have been contacted by reporters who are willing to write about sociopaths and Lovefraud, but they need a local angle to their stories. If you have been victimized by a sociopath and you are willing to talk about it to the media, please let me know and tell me where you are from. Right now I’m looking for stories in the U.S. states of Maine and Georgia, and stories from the United Kingdom.
Contact me at donna@lovefraud.com.
It’s time to make people aware that sociopaths are out there, constantly on the prowl for victims.
Donna, When all this first happened to me, I was very angry with God. I was a widow struggling to raise two kids on my own, then this seemingly perfect man came into my life, only to shatter my heart and nearly destroy my life. It will take me a long time to recover emotionally.
Spiritually I was struggling as well, I was angry! I looked up to the heavens and said to God “why would you do this to me?” “Why would you bring/ let this man come into my life, only to destroy me?” For years after my husband death I would pray “that a good man would come into my life, who would love me as much as I love him” Literally that’s what I would pray!! Pretty ironic that the exact opposite happened. I met with my parrish priest, it did feel good to cry and let it all out, but still I was left with … WHY??
I have decided to write a form letter about subcriminal psychopaths, the dangers, how they’re everywhere and they destroy the lives of average, everyday people. I plan to mention lovefraud in the letter, I will tell them to spend a couple hours reading the blogs & true life stories, and you will see how much damage they can do. I am going to send these letters to newspapers, magazines, and day time talk shows. Asking them to do stories about this to enlighten people to this pretty much unknown danger. I would encourage all other victims to do it as well. It is up to us to get the word out, think of all the people we can help, what a wonderful thing we would be doing. Then our pain, our desruction, our loss of everything from money to self worth would not be in vain.