Send us a text

In Part 1, I exposed how Bitcoin ATMs take 30-40% of scam victims' money through hidden markups. In Part 2, I investigate who's profiting from this system.

Meet Brandon Mintz—Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, CEO of Bitcoin Depot, operator of 8,000+ Bitcoin ATMs across North America. When confronted with evidence that 98% of his Iowa customers were scam victims, here's what he told a podcast host about who uses his machines.

I'm going to dismantle his claims, one by one. And I'm doing it from an actual horse pasture—because Brandon's serving us horseshit in silver bowls, and I'm going to prove it.

Then I'll show you what Bitcoin Depot really does when law enforcement tries to help scam victims: they sue to keep the money.

So yes, this is my investigative journalism meeting my personal mission. And by the end, you'll understand exactly who profits when victims pay.

Support the show

Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

Send us a text

In Part One of Scammed Twice, we move past the emotional manipulation and into the machinery that quietly profits from it. This episode exposes how cryptocurrency ATMs have become a critical—and largely unregulated—link in the scam pipeline.

I walk you through exactly what happened when I was directed to a Bitcoin ATM, how much these machines take from victims in fees, and why scammers rely on them so heavily. We examine who actually uses crypto ATMs, what companies claim about their purpose, and what state investigations are beginning to uncover about how often these machines are tied to fraud.

This isn’t about bad decisions or lack of intelligence. It’s about systems designed without meaningful safeguards—and the people who pay the price.

Part One lays the groundwork. In Part Two, we’ll pull back the curtain even further.

Support the show

Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.

Send us a text

In this episode, I confront the cruel comments often directed at romance scam survivors — calling them stupid, desperate, or deserving of what happened. These reactions aren’t harmless opinions. They actively protect scammers.

When the criminal is visible, we aim our outrage at them.
When the criminal is invisible, that anger gets redirected toward the victim.

Through real public comments, historical fraud cases, cult leaders, and modern scam operations, this episode exposes a hard truth: intelligence, wealth, education, faith, and “common sense” do not protect people from manipulation. Grooming, coercive control, and emotional exploitation bypass our internal alarm systems — not our intelligence.

Victim-blaming keeps survivors silent, prevents reporting, and allows these crimes to continue in the dark. Empathy isn’t weakness — it’s how scams are exposed.

If you’ve ever thought, “That could never happen to me,” this episode is for you.

Because cruelty isn’t just collateral damage — it’s the business model.

Support the show

Email me at romancescamrebellion@gmail.com if you have a story you need to tell.