transcript
show notes
A house fire in Wisconsin opens onto something much larger: a story of unpaid rent, a legal name change, an insurance claim and a fundraiser, and one follower’s rise inside the community.
We hear from Dean and Charlotte, and from Tom and Joanne — the homeowners who rented their family home to someone they trusted — about what happened when this world reached into their lives. Where the record is clear we rely on court and public documents; where an account is contested or unproven, we say so.
Content note: this episode includes references to domestic abuse and family estrangement. Support resources are below.
Sources & credits:
This episode draws on the contributors’ own interviews and public records. No third-party audio clips are used.
About this series:
THE INSTASCAMMER is an audio documentary based on interviews, recordings, documents and public records. The experiences you hear are the accounts of the people who lived them. Where possible we distinguish personal testimony from expert opinion and verified records. Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect contributors and third parties. Any ongoing legal matters referenced are just that — ongoing; we do not speculate on outcomes, and nothing in this series should be understood as a statement of criminal guilt. When we use the term “InstaScammer” we are not alleging a criminal conviction. Have you experienced something like this?
Support & resources:
If anything in this episode resonates with your own experience, you are not alone, and help is available.
• Recovering from a cult or coercive group: R.A.I.S.E. CIC (UK) — cultic-abuse support and peer-led recovery — recoverautonomy.org.
• Internationally: the International Cultic Studies Association — internationalculticstudies.org, hello@internationalculticstudies.org.
• If you’ve lost a loved one to a cult or coercion: The Family Survival Trust (UK) — thefamilysurvivaltrust.org/support.
• Childhood or sexual abuse: US — RAINN, 1-800-656-4673 (24/7). UK — NAPAC, 0808
801 0331.
• In emotional distress or crisis (including suicidal thoughts): UK & ROI — Samaritans,
free on 116 123, 24/7. US — 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988, 24/7.
• Domestic abuse or coercive control: UK — National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge),
0808 2000 247, 24/7. US — National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233.
(If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency number.)
Verification & evidence:
Much of what is described in this series is supported by recordings, documents, court filings and public records. If you are a journalist, researcher, or someone personally affected and you would like to verify what you’ve heard, you can reach the production at cultvaultpodcast@gmail.com.
A note on names:
To protect the privacy and safety of contributors and their families, some names and identifying details have been changed. Where individuals appear under their real names, they have consented to do so.
We hear from Dean and Charlotte, and from Tom and Joanne — the homeowners who rented their family home to someone they trusted — about what happened when this world reached into their lives. Where the record is clear we rely on court and public documents; where an account is contested or unproven, we say so.
Content note: this episode includes references to domestic abuse and family estrangement. Support resources are below.
Sources & credits:
This episode draws on the contributors’ own interviews and public records. No third-party audio clips are used.
About this series:
THE INSTASCAMMER is an audio documentary based on interviews, recordings, documents and public records. The experiences you hear are the accounts of the people who lived them. Where possible we distinguish personal testimony from expert opinion and verified records. Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect contributors and third parties. Any ongoing legal matters referenced are just that — ongoing; we do not speculate on outcomes, and nothing in this series should be understood as a statement of criminal guilt. When we use the term “InstaScammer” we are not alleging a criminal conviction. Have you experienced something like this?
Support & resources:
If anything in this episode resonates with your own experience, you are not alone, and help is available.
• Recovering from a cult or coercive group: R.A.I.S.E. CIC (UK) — cultic-abuse support and peer-led recovery — recoverautonomy.org.
• Internationally: the International Cultic Studies Association — internationalculticstudies.org, hello@internationalculticstudies.org.
• If you’ve lost a loved one to a cult or coercion: The Family Survival Trust (UK) — thefamilysurvivaltrust.org/support.
• Childhood or sexual abuse: US — RAINN, 1-800-656-4673 (24/7). UK — NAPAC, 0808
801 0331.
• In emotional distress or crisis (including suicidal thoughts): UK & ROI — Samaritans,
free on 116 123, 24/7. US — 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988, 24/7.
• Domestic abuse or coercive control: UK — National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge),
0808 2000 247, 24/7. US — National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233.
(If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency number.)
Verification & evidence:
Much of what is described in this series is supported by recordings, documents, court filings and public records. If you are a journalist, researcher, or someone personally affected and you would like to verify what you’ve heard, you can reach the production at cultvaultpodcast@gmail.com.
A note on names:
To protect the privacy and safety of contributors and their families, some names and identifying details have been changed. Where individuals appear under their real names, they have consented to do so.