27 Jul How a 67-Year-Old Woman Went From Romance Scam Victim To Podcast Rebel
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This week in cybersecurity from the editors at Cybercrime Magazine
Sausalito, Calif. – Jul. 27, 2026
– Listen to the podcast
By the end of the nearly yearlong romance scam that began on LinkedIn, Anola Johnson, 67, a Utah-based travel specialist, was out around $850,000, including multiple credit card advances.
“In retrospect, it’s very embarrassing,” Johnson told Realtor.com. “The last thing I wanted to do was tell my family—or anyone.”
But rather than keep silent, she has chosen to use her experience to warn others.
Johnson started a podcast called Romance Scam Rebellion, where she not only shares her scam story, but interviews other victims. “You can’t let these scammers win,” she says. “You’ve got to fight back.”
On a recent episode of the Cybercrime Magazine Podcast, Johnson joined our host Chris Morgan for a deep dive into how Johnson was conned by “Pedro”, where it all wound up, and how she started podcasting.
Listen to the Podcast episode
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