1195: Javier Leiva | Modern Romance Scam Tactics and Ways to Fight Back

Beyond catfishing, romance scammers are moving in with victims and rewriting wills. Here, Pretend Podcast host Javier Leiva exposes their new playbook.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1195What We Discuss with Javier Leiva:Romance scams are so common that identical fake stories (architect in Indonesia, talking to Johnny Depp) are used with thousands of victims simultaneously, making them seem like urban legends.Scammers target vulnerable people by checking boxes: isolated from family, cognitive decline, terminal illness, government pension, loneliness. More boxes = bigger mark.Advanced scammers move in with victims, become caregivers, get named as estate executors, then move on to victim's elderly relatives when the person dies.Damage goes beyond money — victims often become unable to trust again and avoid relationships entirely, while family stress affects everyone for years.Watch for red flags: excessive early generosity, isolating behavior, urgent requests bypassing reasoning, password/financial access requests, sob stories. Trust family concerns.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors:The Cybersecurity Tapes: thecybersecuritytapes.comCaldera + Lab: 20% off: calderalab.com/jordan, code JORDANCookUnity: 50% off first week: cookunity.com/jordan or code JORDANProgressive: Free online quote: progressive.comHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chemicals in water, food, and receipts are messing with our hormones. Nick Pell helps us understand and reduce the risks on Skeptical Sunday!Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher Nick Pell!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1194On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with your body's hormone signals by either blocking them or mimicking them, potentially affecting testosterone, estrogen, and other crucial hormones that regulate mood, growth, and reproduction.These chemicals are virtually everywhere — in drinking water, plastic bottles, receipts, shampoos, soaps, food packaging, and even birth control runoff in groundwater. Complete avoidance is impossible in modern life.Evidence suggests EDCs may contribute to declining testosterone in men, early puberty in girls, and male fertility issues. Frog feminization studies show real hormonal effects in wildlife and Alex Jones.Unlike typical toxins, endocrine disruptors follow a "non-monotonic dose response" — meaning lower doses might actually be more harmful than higher doses, making it impossible to determine a "safe" exposure level.You can reduce exposure by filtering water, avoiding receipt handling, using glass/metal containers instead of plastic, choosing bar soap over liquid, and not microwaving food in plastic wrap — small changes that add up.Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know!And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors:Quiltmind: Email [email protected] to get started or visit quiltmind.com for more infoShopify: 3 months @ $1/month (select plans): shopify.com/jordanBetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordanSimpliSafe: 50% off + 1st month free: simplisafe.com/jordanHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To your family's chagrin, you escaped conservative traditions to find love with an atheist. Can your heart coexist with your heritage? It's Feedback Friday!And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let's dive in!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1193On This Week's Feedback Friday:Gabe finds Portuguese portals to be a-door-able and so-called "hot" yoga temperatures too cool for school. You're a Turkish woman who escaped conservative Muslim traditions, found love with an atheist Canadian, and now face the ultimate family showdown. Can you build bridges between two worlds without burning either one down?After 12 years at your company, you suspect they're quietly orchestrating your exit while you consider taking leave to care for your Alzheimer's-struggling father at home. Is this corporate chess game actually your ticket to the sabbatical you secretly crave? [Thanks to HR professional Joanna Tate for helping us with this one!]Five years ago, someone claimed your husband cheated with a coworker. You've carried this poison pill of doubt ever since, recently confronted the accuser again, but still have no smoking gun. How do you solve a mystery with no evidence?Recommendation of the Week: Join a group fitness class to make friends in new places.Your former yoga student — now imprisoned for violent crimes including kidnapping — sent you a heartfelt letter from behind bars. As a future therapist, you want to help, but as a human, you're terrified. Do you respond to someone who could be dangerous?Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]!Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: The Cybersecurity Tapes: thecybersecuritytapes.comLand Rover Defender: landroverusa.comDeleteMe: 20% off: joindeleteme.com/jordan, code JORDANHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comAG1: Welcome kit: drinkag1.com/jordanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ordinary citizens are solving war crimes with Google Maps and Twitter. Here, Bellingcat's Eliot Higgins reveals how anyone can become a digital detective!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1192What We Discuss with Eliot Higgins:Bellingcat, the investigative journalism group founded by Eliot Higgins, pioneered open source investigations using publicly available data — social media posts, satellite imagery, and online databases — to uncover war crimes, assassinations, and state-level deception that traditional journalism missed.Bellingcat's techniques include geolocation (matching video backgrounds to satellite imagery), chronolocation (using shadows to determine time), and "fingerprinting" military equipment by unique damage patterns to track movements across borders.Bellingcat's major investigations exposed Russian involvement in MH17 downing, identified GRU agents in Skripal poisoning through passport/phone metadata, and mapped entire Russian military units from soldiers' social media posts during Ukraine operations.Bellingcat faces serious threats — Russian surveillance, hacking attempts, disinformation campaigns, and even kidnapping plots — while being falsely labeled as CIA fronts to discredit its independent verification work.Anyone can learn open source investigation through Bellingcat's free resources, Discord community of 40,000 members, YouTube tutorials, and volunteer programs — proving that citizen journalism can hold powerful actors accountable.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors:Saily: 15% off: saily.com/jordanharbinger, code JORDANHARBINGERIDEO U: 15% off: ideou.com/jhsHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comProgressive: Free online quote: progressive.comBetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Working from the beach seems like a dream, but Jessica Wynn shows how being a digital nomad is mostly Wi-Fi nightmares and visa hell on Skeptical Sunday!Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by Jessica Wynn!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1191On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:Digital nomads are remote workers, not vacationers — they need real skills and jobs to sustain constant travel while managing clients across time zones and unreliable Wi-Fi connections.The digital nomad lifestyle costs more than advertised due to short-term housing, visa fees, coworking spaces, storage, and constant travel expenses. So-called "financial freedom" is often just financial reshuffling.Beware the "digital nomad course industrial complex." Scammers sell empty promises to desperate people, creating pyramid schemes that prey on those seeking lifestyle change.Digital nomads can harm local economies by driving up rents and displacing residents, turning neighborhoods into overpriced Instagram backdrops that locals can no longer afford.If pursuing digital nomadism, start with solid remote work skills and reliable income. Go off the beaten path, support local businesses, learn basic language skills, and respect that locals aren't resort staff.Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know!Connect with Jessica Wynn at Instagram and Threads, and subscribe to her newsletter: Between the Lines!And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors:The Cybersecurity Tapes: thecybersecuritytapes.comWayfair: Start renovating: wayfair.comZipRecruiter: ziprecruiter.com/jordanHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You found true love after rescuing your daughter from abuse, but your traumatized child despises your fiancée. Welcome to Feedback Friday!And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let's dive in!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1190On This Week's Feedback Friday:Gabe learns what a purse stool is and apologizes to the superlatively excellent Canadian people for his poorly received "51st state" wisecrack a few weeks ago.Jordan recalls the time his roommate "accidentally" liberated a Hermès store display.Your eight-year-old daughter survived horrific abuse by her mother's boyfriend, and now you have full custody. But your new fiancée — the love of your life — can't connect with your traumatized child. Should you sacrifice your happiness to avoid another broken home?Your Russian wife of more than five years just emotionally checked out of your Japanese marriage, claiming you treat her "like a mother, not a woman." She wants to separate but keep living together while she gets financially stable. Are you a safety net or a doormat?A student you taught a decade ago just accused you of sexual abuse — it's completely false, but the investigation nearly drove you to suicide. You were cleared, but now every classroom interaction terrifies you. Can you ever teach again?Recommendation of the Week: SniffSpotYou're 50-something, debt-free, with rental properties and a fat investment portfolio. Your boring corporate job pays well but drains your soul. You could retire tomorrow and travel the world, so why are you paralyzed with fear?Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]!Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Quiltmind: Email [email protected] to get started or visit quiltmind.com for more infoBoulevard: 10% off first year: joinblvd.com/jordanOpenPhone: 20% off 1st 6 months: openphone.com/jordanShopify: 3 months @ $1/month (select plans): shopify.com/jordanHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why fight with tanks when you can cripple enemies with trade? Here, Chokepoints author Edward Fishman reveals the new rules of economic warfare.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1189What We Discuss with Edward Fishman:Invisible choke points give US asymmetric power. The dollar dominates 90% of global foreign exchange, enabling sanctions on countries with no US involvement, like blocking China-Iran oil payments.Economic warfare threshold lowered, impact increased. Unlike naval blockades requiring military force, cutting countries from dollars/semiconductors imposes "just as much economic harm" with less risk.China built counter-arsenal after 2018. China now controls 99% of rare earth minerals, batteries, and clean tech supply chains, and recently forced the US to back down using export controls as leverage.US-Europe split weakens economic leverage. Acting unilaterally pushes allies toward Euro alternatives, reducing dollar dominance that enables effective sanctions against adversaries.Economic warfare offers hope over military conflict. Understanding these dynamics enables democratic participation in choosing economic tools over shooting wars.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: BetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordanConstant Contact: Go to constantcontact.com for more infoMint Mobile: Shop plans at mintmobile.com/jhsLand Rover Defender: landroverusa.comHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Think debt collectors can ruin your life? Nick Pell reveals how to turn the tables and make them pay you on this Skeptical Sunday! Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher Nick Pell!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1188On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:Debt collectors buy your debt for pennies on the dollar. Sometimes as little as 10% or even just $50 for a $5,000 debt, giving them huge room to negotiate settlements.The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act strictly limits what collectors can do. They can't call outside 8am-9pm, can't harass you, and must stop contacting you if you request it in writing.You can sue debt collectors for $1,000 per violation. If they break FDCPA rules (like telling others about your debt), you can take them to court and win money from them.Old debts become legally unenforceable after 3-10 years. Depending on your state's statute of limitations, collectors lose the power to force payment through courts.Request debt validation in writing to protect yourself. 43% of collectors can't prove they own the debt. Send registered mail asking for validation — they must stop contacting you until they comply!Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know!And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors:Hiya: 50% off first order: hiyahealth.com/jordanUplift: Special offer: upliftdesk.com/jordanSimpliSafe: 50% off + 1st month free: simplisafe.com/jordanNordVPN: Exclusive deal: nordvpn.com/jordanharbingerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The sweetest soul you know runs a charity in Sri Lanka, but his mother's mafia debts put his family in mortal danger. Can you help? It's Feedback Friday!And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let's dive in!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1187On This Week's Feedback Friday:Passengers, please buckle up for the next episode of Where in the World Is Gabriel Mizrahi?Your best friend in Sri Lanka — charitable CEO, pillar of the community — is being stalked by dangerous criminals because his mother borrowed money from the wrong people and can't pay it back. Now you're watching from afar as threatening calls and disturbing photos shatter his peaceful life. Can friendship cross oceans to save a life?Your college buddy has a PhD in medicine and a horse farm, but somehow can't cough up the $7,000 he borrowed for his son's 'emergency' tuition. Between bounced checks and elaborate excuses, you're discovering that friendship and money mix like oil and water. How far does loyalty stretch?Your 16-year-old daughter escaped abuse and found stability in your home, but the custody papers still live in legal limbo. With graduation approaching, you're torn between protecting her healing and securing her future. Is disturbing peace worth the protection she deserves?Recommendation of the Week: What Matters Most: Living a More Considered Life by James HollisYou're 40-something and madly in love with a man 20 years your senior, but he's still sharing a roof with his estranged wife while your family whispers about daddy issues. Between age-gap stigma and messy living situations, can love conquer family judgment?Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]!Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: DeleteMe: 20% off: joindeleteme.com/jordan, code JORDANFay Nutrition: See a registered dietitian for as little as $0: faynutrition.com/jordanCookUnity: 50% off first week: cookunity.com/jordan, code JORDANCaldera Lab: 20% off: calderalab.com/jordan, code JORDANLand Rover Defender: landroverusa.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our ancestors thrived on struggle; we wilt from inconvenience. The Comfort Crisis author Michael Easter shows how embracing discomfort builds resilience.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1186What We Discuss with Michael Easter:Modern comfort crisis: We've engineered physical activity and challenges out of our lives, leading to sedentary diseases and reduced mental resilience — but our bodies and minds still need discomfort to thrive.Discomfort as medicine: Physical effort, hunger, and temperature swings protect against disease by triggering beneficial adaptations — 80 percent of eating today is driven by boredom or stress, not actual hunger.Transferable toughness: Mental resilience built through physical challenges transfers to other life areas — like how overcoming a difficult hike builds confidence to tackle career or relationship obstacles.Nature's measurable benefits: The "25-3 rule" — 20 minutes in city parks three times a week reduces stress; five hours monthly in wilder nature increases happiness; three days yearly off-grid resets priorities.Start with a two percent mindset: Only two percent of people take stairs when escalators exist. Begin building discomfort tolerance with small daily choices — take stairs, walk during calls, sit on the floor while reading.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors:Cayman Jack: Explore uncharted flavor: caymanjack.comHammer Made: $50 off first purchase, $199+: hammermade.com/jordan, code JORDANQuiltmind: Email [email protected] to get started or visit quiltmind.comFactor: 50% off first box: factormeals.com/jordan50off, code JORDAN50OFFAudible: Visit audible.com/jhs or text JHS to 500-500See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.