Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: "I Sold Both of My Kidneys..."
Date: September 22, 2025
Host: Armstrong & Getty (Jack Armstrong, Joe Getty, and crew)
Brief Overview
This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand features a humorous and candid discussion about modern scams, specifically online romance scams involving “hot Ukrainian women.” The hosts, Jack, Joe, and their crew, swap stories, poke fun at their own experiences with scammers, and dissect the psychology behind why certain people fall for such tactics. The titular joke about selling both kidneys for a Taylor Swift ticket is used to segue into the main topic. The episode maintains the duo's trademark blend of satire, banter, and social insight.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Ukrainian Romance Scam Saga
- Jack's “Budding Romance”: Jack shares updates about his ongoing, obviously fake, romance with a supposed young Ukrainian woman who now claims to be expecting triplets.
- Jack: “Some scammer is pretending to be a hot young Ukrainian who is desperately in love with me, having never met me.” [01:44]
- Scam Mechanics:
- The group breaks down the scam’s phases: introduction, love bombing, and then a crisis (usually involving requests for money).
- D: “It's like the introduction, then the love bombing, and then the crisis, which is where the money comes into play.” [02:46]
- The group breaks down the scam’s phases: introduction, love bombing, and then a crisis (usually involving requests for money).
- Anticipating the ‘Ask’: Jack has been waiting to see how the fake girlfriend would eventually try to pivot to asking for money. The crew jokes about reversing the scam by asking the scammer for cash first.
- C: “Hansen came up with the idea that you had her first to see how she reacts…‘I desperately need $1,000.’” [03:19]
2. How to Play Along with a Scammer
- Scammer Tactics:
- Scammers rotate between different photos and profiles – sometimes she's blonde, sometimes brunette – clearly not bothering with internal consistency.
- A: “That's one of the funniest parts of it is it's a bunch of different... sometimes she's a short haired brunette, sometimes she's a long haired blonde...” [04:33]
- Scammers rotate between different photos and profiles – sometimes she's blonde, sometimes brunette – clearly not bothering with internal consistency.
- Victim Profile:
- The team discusses why lonely and elderly people are often the prime targets for such scams.
- D: “...they're elderly and usually living on their own or their family isn't there to stop them from doing this.” [05:44]
- C: “I think they're just targeting really lonely old men, to be honest with you.” [05:34]
- The team discusses why lonely and elderly people are often the prime targets for such scams.
- Fake Intimacy:
- Jack reads aloud examples of the scammer’s overly affectionate emails that sound oddly generic and insistent on daily communication.
- C: “Jack Armstrong. My precious diamond.” [06:08]
- A: “Your letter was a real present for me today. That's when I responded with sup. Or more or less. You know.” [06:16]
- The group riffs on the oddness of receiving both sexy photos and random kittens or scenic images from the scammer.
- A: “...different pictures of hot young women and then the occasional kitten or flowers or a beach.” [07:05]
- Jack reads aloud examples of the scammer’s overly affectionate emails that sound oddly generic and insistent on daily communication.
3. Reverse-Scamming & Running the Experiment
- The Reverse Ask:
- Jack ponders asking the scammer for money himself as a social experiment.
- C: “Give it one more round of not asking for money. Go ahead and communicate that the the hook has been set...” [08:46]
- The crew debates the best strategy—ask for a small amount first, or double down on the love story.
- A: “So should I play any of the game? Should I go with any of the love of my life?” [08:33]
- D: “Absolutely. Pet names...I've been thinking about you and I've made the...I would like to come see you. Problem is I need 150.” [08:37]
- C: “Give it one more round...let that play out for one more back and forth and then make the ask.” [08:46]
- Jack ponders asking the scammer for money himself as a social experiment.
4. Reflections & Social Commentary
- Loneliness & Vulnerability:
- While riffing, the crew acknowledges that these scams exploit real people who are lonely, offering a touch of sympathy amidst the jokes.
- A: “As a lonely old man, I really hate that sort of talk. Hello. Hello. My dearest sweetheart. Jack.” [06:02]
- While riffing, the crew acknowledges that these scams exploit real people who are lonely, offering a touch of sympathy amidst the jokes.
- Feeding the ‘Love’:
- The group has fun with the idea that ‘love needs to be fed’—a tip both for actual relationships and for keeping a scammer engaged.
- A: “I'm letting love die.” [08:02]
- D: “Love has to be fed.” [08:04]
- The group has fun with the idea that ‘love needs to be fed’—a tip both for actual relationships and for keeping a scammer engaged.
5. Episode Wrap-Up
- The crew decides to delay their separate segment on ticket scams until tomorrow, wanting to wrap up today’s show focused on the ongoing romance scam experiment.
- C: “Why don't we do the ticket thing tomorrow? It's interesting and long...” [08:14]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the scam escalation process:
- D: “It's like the introduction, then the love bombing, and then the crisis, which is where the money comes into play.” [02:46]
- On scammer inconsistency:
- A: “That's one of the funniest parts of it...it's a bunch of different. Sometimes she's a short haired brunette, sometimes she's a long haired blonde...” [04:33]
- On targeting lonely men:
- D: “I think they're just targeting really lonely old men, to be honest with you.” [05:34]
- On their response to being scam targets:
- A: “As a lonely old man, I really hate that sort of talk. Hello. Hello. My dearest sweetheart. Jack.” [06:02]
- On letting the scam fade:
- A: “I'm letting love die.” [08:02]
- D: “Love has to be fed.” [08:04]
- On feeding the scam with fake affection:
- C: “Jack Armstrong. My precious diamond.” [06:08]
- A: “Your letter was a real present for me today. That's when I responded with sup. Or more or less. You know.” [06:16]
Important Segment Timestamps
- [01:04] - Episode’s scam premise joke: “I sold both my kidneys to buy a Taylor Swift ticket.”
- [01:16]–[04:33] - Jack’s Ukrainian romance scam saga; dissecting scammer tactics and reverse-scam plans.
- [04:46]–[05:44] - Who falls for these scams; victim psychology and scammer strategies.
- [06:02]–[07:07] - Reading scammer messages, “feeding” the fake relationship, and banter about being a “precious diamond.”
- [08:14]–[09:01] - Plan for the next steps in the scam experiment, setup for future episode.
- [09:01] onward - Start of ad breaks and episode wrap-up, content ends.
Episode Tone and Style
This episode is classic Armstrong & Getty: witty, snarky, and irreverently insightful. The hosts poke fun at themselves and the absurdity of online scams, blending satire with genuine observations about human vulnerability and loneliness. Their banter is rapid-fire, playful, and always with an edge of self-awareness.
“I'm letting love die.”
—Jack Armstrong, [08:02]
“It's like the introduction, then the love bombing, and then the crisis...”
—D, [02:46]
“Jack Armstrong. My precious diamond.”
—C, (reciting scam email, [06:08])
Summary prepared for listeners who missed the show: You’ll come away laughing, a little more informed about scam mechanics, and—if you’re Jack Armstrong—maybe a bit more cautious about checking your inbox for Ukrainian soulmates.