When the fish met the bait. Roberto has a broken heart and lost thousands of dollars to scammers. Vanessa had her images stolen by scammers and her life fell apart. An emotional finale. Please note, this series contains adult themes and strong language. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/love-janessa-transcripts-listen-1.6770736

Her real name is Vanessa. Her model name is Janessa Brazil. Where does Janessa end and Vanessa begin? Vanessa tells her story and reveals the human cost of being the bait in catfishing schemes around the world. Please note, this series contains adult themes and strong language. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/love-janessa-transcripts-listen-1.6770736

“I'm an offensive person.” Can a shock jock radio talk show host help us find Janessa Brazil? Meet Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. Bubba and Janessa used to host his show together and they were even housemates. Did they talk about romance scammers using her images? And does he know where Janessa is now? Please note, this series contains adult themes and strong language. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/love-janessa-transcripts-listen-1.6770736

Where is Janessa Brazil? She seems to have vanished. Then, she turns up somewhere unexpected. Is that really Janessa on a radio show, with the wife of a scam victim? Meanwhile, Hannah discovers that justice is hard to come by. Can victims of romance fraud even get their money back? Please note, this series contains adult themes and strong language. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/love-janessa-transcripts-listen-1.6770736

Tracking down scammers – how and why do they do it? One tells host Hannah Ajala: “I always feel bad”. Researchers estimate half of global romance scams originate in West Africa. In Ghana, there are the Sakawa Boys. The conning process can involve staying up late, chatting on the phone… building trust and deepening the connection - a bit like a real relationship. It takes time to fall “in love”. Please note, this series contains adult themes and strong language. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/love-janessa-transcripts-listen-1.6770736