Betrayal: Weekly

Episode: Bernie Pt. 2 | Betrayal Weekly

Date: October 16, 2025
Host: Andrea Gunning
Featured Guest: Bernie Brown

Main Theme

This episode continues Bernie Brown’s riveting account of being conned by a man he met online. It explores the toxic relationship’s unraveling, the psychological and financial devastation, and Bernie’s journey to justice, recovery, and helping others. The episode also reveals how Bernie’s personal case linked to a nationwide manhunt for a prolific UK scammer, highlighting the broader epidemic of emotional and financial betrayal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Escalation of the Scam

• Bernie’s relationship with “Leo”:
  Leo initially charmed Bernie, claiming to be a member of the Royal Family and requiring secrecy due to his status and later a terminal cancer diagnosis.
  • “Three weeks before he had first messaged me, he had actually absconded from prison. He was serving a sentence for fraud. And he was on the run when he met me.” (Bernie Brown, 03:05)
  • Bernie is convinced into a “business deal” for a luxury watch and takes out a high-interest loan for Leo.
• Promise of a new life:
  Leo suggests moving together to a Scottish castle, fueling Bernie’s emotional investment and hope for the future.
  • “He was like, I want to put an offer in and move within the month. I’m just done with all of this…We’ve got one life. Let’s do it.” (Bernie Brown & Andrea Gunning, 05:10–05:19)
• Mounting excuses and gaslighting:
  The luxury watch (for resale) is repeatedly delayed with grandiose lies. Leo withdraws emotionally, and communication lapses begin.
  • “The watch is being almost dangled…for whatever reason, the watch would always either be forgotten or once the cleaner accidentally moved it and it was lost in the house somewhere.” (Bernie Brown, 07:23)

2. Emotional and Psychological Manipulation

• Toxic patterns emerge:
  Bernie describes being gaslighted, breadcrumbed, and isolated. His mental health deteriorates as he becomes consumed by guilt and doubt.
  • “I got massively depressed. I lost so much weight, I didn’t eat.” (Bernie Brown, 08:54)
• Confrontation and realization:
  Suspecting infidelity, Bernie creates a fake profile to catch Leo, confirming Leo’s deception—not just romantically, but with ongoing scams.
  • “He would reply to this person for literally about an hour, but I’m getting no reply. So I’m like, you know what? I’m done now.” (Bernie Brown, 10:42)
• Final straw:
  When Bernie confronts Leo, Leo turns hostile, refuses to return the watch, and lashes out.
  • “He turned nasty. I was like, you’re not getting the watch. You don’t deserve the watch.” (Bernie Brown, 11:25)
• Bernie chooses self-preservation:
  “I said, enough is enough. I’m worth more than this. And I blocked his number.” (Bernie Brown, 12:19)

3. The Aftermath: Financial and Emotional Ruin

• Bernie’s devastation:
  • All savings are lost; debts mount; Bernie’s credit score plummets.
  • “He didn’t take an obscene amount of money from me, monetary wise, but what he did do was absolutely wipe me out…20,000 could have easily been 5 million. It was all that I had.” (Bernie Brown, 14:03)
• Recognition of the crime:
  • A friend reframes the betrayal as theft, and Bernie reports Leo to the police.
  • “She was like, he’s gonna carry on doing it…until somebody actually puts a stop to it.” (Bernie Brown, 15:29)
• Shocking discovery – Leo’s complete fabrication:
  • Police find no trace of Leo Howard; records, car registrations, and backgrounds are all erased.
  • “It was as if I had completely imagined the entire year…because this person just did not exist.” (Bernie Brown, 16:53)
• Police intervention and the unraveling scam:
  • A Channel 4 documentary exposes Leo as a serial fraudster; more victims come forward.
  • “The story had exploded. Leo’s face was all over the news…Now I have proof that it happens.” (Andrea Gunning & Bernie Brown, 22:42–22:52)

4. Connecting with Other Victims and Uncovering the Scam

• Documentary revelation:
  Bernie finds striking parallels between his experience and other victims’ stories.
  • “I read the article and everything that happened to me had happened to her.” (Bernie Brown, 23:49)
• Contact with another victim fills in missing details:
  Bernie learns Leo was on the run from prison when they met and scammed others during the same period.
  • “Three weeks before he had messaged me, he had actually absconded from prison…” (Bernie Brown, 25:50)
• More victims and police errors:
  Multiple victims reported across the country; system gaps allowed Leo to keep running his con.
  • “The police don’t talk to each other over here. And when I had raised my case, they had no idea who it was until the documentary came out.” (Bernie Brown, 27:56)

5. Understanding the “Mastermind”

• Leo’s psychology and background:
  • Messages from people who knew Leo suggest he was always manipulative.
  • “His background is so far from the Royal Family, it’s unbelievable…he created his own system to survive.” (Bernie Brown, 29:22)
  • “Every time he created this Persona, this person, he threw himself so hard into it that he then started to believe that he was this person…” (Bernie Brown, 30:45)
• Was it ever real?
  Despite it all, Bernie still wonders if parts of their connection were genuine or just methods of control.
  • “I think there is an element that he had gone through so much and then he met me…I do believe at some point he did get emotionally connected…” (Bernie Brown, 36:03)
  • “At some point, I do believe that he thought that he could get away from it all and escape with me…” (Bernie Brown, 36:52)

6. The Scale of the Fraud

• High-level cons:
  Leo defrauded Harrod’s department store out of £500,000 and scammed luxury watch and car dealerships.
  • “He scammed half a million pounds out of Harrods. Like, you are a different level when you can do that.” (Bernie Brown, 38:11)
• Justice and ongoing risk:
  Leo is caught and sentenced again but still qualifies for early release; criminal repercussions are uncertain.
  • “But he still qualified for early release. The mind boggles, but that’s what we are currently facing.” (Bernie Brown, 28:58)

7. Healing, Advocacy, and Lessons Learned

• TikTok and support systems:
  Bernie finds support from friends and begins to process his trauma on TikTok, connecting with others through content about narcissistic abuse.
  • “TikTok was instrumental in me healing…with the amount of gaslighting, love bombing, breadcrumbing—you get so heavily sucked in that it does actually change your makeup.” (Bernie Brown, 39:35)
• Lingering scars and new contentment:
  • “Your trust in other people after this is almost non-existent.” (Bernie Brown, 40:46)
  • “I have a beautiful soon to be husband and I’ve got a little puppy and I’ve got amazing friends and family and actually neighbors. So, I’m content…He will never, ever in his life have what I have sat in this chair now.” (Bernie Brown, 40:58)
• Purpose in sharing:
  Bernie wants to help others see warning signs and avoid similar devastation.
  • “I know for a fact that there’s thousands of Leos around the world…If I can share and open somebody else’s eyes and say, you know, if this ain’t right, then it’s worth it.” (Bernie Brown, 42:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the gaslighting and loss:

  “He would reply to this person for literally about an hour, but I’m getting no reply. So I’m like, you know what? I’m done now. That’s it. I need to get this watch and I need to get it soon.”
  — Bernie Brown (10:42)

• On the impact:

  “He didn’t take an obscene amount of money from me…20,000 could have easily been 5 million. It was all that I had.”
  — Bernie Brown (14:03)

• On realizing the scale of Leo’s deception:

  “It was as if I had completely imagined the entire year…because this person just did not exist.”
  — Bernie Brown (16:53)

• On justice finally catching up:

  “The story had exploded. Leo’s face was all over the news…Now I have proof that it happens.”
  — Bernie Brown (22:52)

• On healing and support:

  “TikTok was instrumental in me healing…you get so heavily sucked in that it does actually change your makeup. And it changes the way you think.”
  — Bernie Brown (39:35)

• On what’s left after betrayal:

  “He will never ever in his life have what I have sat in this chair now…I don’t hate him…just sadness.”
  — Bernie Brown (40:58)

• Why Bernie shares his story:

  “If I can share and open somebody else’s eyes…then it’s worth it.”
  — Bernie Brown (42:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Background and scam’s setup – 03:05–05:43
• Isolation, emotional unraveling – 06:41–09:17
• The confrontation – 10:22–12:19
• Financial devastation – 12:33–14:32
• Reporting to police and realization – 15:29–17:56
• Documentary and connecting with other victims – 22:18–25:03
• Uncovering Leo’s background and multi-victim scam – 29:22–31:01
• Scale of Leo's crimes – 38:00–39:10
• Bernie’s healing and learning – 39:35–41:45
• Purpose of sharing story and message to others – 42:17–43:08

Conclusion

This episode delivers a harrowing but ultimately hopeful look at the reality of personal and financial betrayal. Bernie Brown’s story highlights the warning signs, the emotional devastation, and the difficult path of recovery and resilience. By sharing his experience and connecting with others affected by scams and narcissistic abuse, Bernie reclaims agency and offers hope and support to victims everywhere.

To connect with Bernie or find support:
Search for Ernie Brown on TikTok, or reach out via the Betrayal podcast’s channels.