Girls Gotta Eat – “How to Investigate, Detect Lies, and Catch a Catfish with the Dating Detectives”

Date: March 9, 2026
Featuring: Ashley Hesseltine & Rayna Greenberg (hosts), Mackenzie Faultz (Private Investigator) & Hannah Anderson (Comedian, Armchair Sleuth)
Podcast: Girls Gotta Eat x Dear Media | Episode Overview + Key Discussion Points

Episode Overview

In this lively, candid, and laugh-out-loud episode, Ashley and Rayna of “Girls Gotta Eat” dive headfirst into the world of dating sleuthing, lie detection, and scam-busting, joined by the co-hosts of “The Dating Detectives” podcast—private investigator Mackenzie Faultz and writer-comedian Hannah Anderson.

With equal parts humor and actionable advice, the conversation covers the art of vetting potential dates, catching catfishes and liars, telltale red flags in modern dating, and the wild, sometimes dark, psychology of scammers. Memorable moments and practical investigative tips abound as the group swaps war stories, debates etiquette, and shares the secrets that keep women a few steps ahead in the dating game.

Meet the Guests: The Dating Detectives

[32:15–36:12]

• Mackenzie Faultz’s journey: From a criminal justice degree and a “you’ll never make it as a woman” challenge to licensed PI. (“So I did all the things and before you know it, they sent me a license in the mail. And I said, I'll be darn. That's how it got started.” – Mackenzie, 33:07)
• Social engineering: Why bubbly women make the best PIs and why people (both men and women) tend to share more information with women.
• Hannah Anderson: Armchair sleuth, stand-up comic, and single millennial on a mission to learn from PI wisdom.
• Show’s Origin: Addressing “dogfishing” (lying with real images/info but hiding a secret) as distinct from “catfishing”.

The Art—and Survival Value—of Dating Sleuthing

[36:12–50:22]

On Vetting Potential Dates

• Google is Queen: “If I can't find that your name is not real, you don't exist.” – Mackenzie, [40:51]
• Search Techniques:
  • Quotation searches (“Adam White” AND “doctor”)
  • Go deep, don’t stop on Google page one.
  • Leverage school records, alumni lists, tagged photos on Facebook
  • Reverse image search (especially for app profiles)
  • Data broker sites: Plug a phone number into Google, cross-reference addresses, tickets, etc.—can uncover hidden info for a couple bucks.
• “If you're going on dates and not googling before, it's just research. You're not crazy.” – Hannah, [39:56]

What’s a Major Red Flag?

• No online footprint/social presence at all—usually not a good sign in 2026, especially in urban environments.
• “No family, no friends, definitely a red flag.” – Hannah, [50:36]

Gender Differences in Cheating/Lying

• “I think women don't get caught as much.” – Hannah, [38:58]
• Men get caught more easily, often due to overconfidence or failing to cover up digital trails.

Psychological Tactics of Liars

• DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.
  • “That’s their strategy: deny, attack, reverse.” – Mackenzie, [44:13]
  • “The greater the lie, the greater the defense.” – Mackenzie, [45:46]
• Love bombing, trauma dumping, and early oversharing are often deception tactics.
• “If you walk out feeling guilty after bringing valid concern to your partner, that's something to clock.” – Hannah, [47:26]

Key Practical Takeaway: Pattern Recognition

• Trust your instincts, connect data points and patterns, don’t talk yourself out of noticing contradictions (“Pattern connection… Women are more prone to be overthinking because we connect patterns more…” – Mackenzie, [52:58]).

Real-World Scenarios: Red Flags, Pink Flags, & Unsolved Mysteries

[50:22–85:15]

Most Common Missed Red Flags:

• Refusal to introduce you to friends/family/community (“No community feels like a huge one to me. Like, there's nobody to hold you accountable or vouch for this info.” – Raina, [52:06])
• Always only meeting at hotels, never seeing their place.
• Strange or shifting life timelines.
• “My ex is crazy” or “every ex was a narcissist”—often narrative control rather than truth.

The Ghost Date (Unsolved Mystery)

[72:39–76:45]

• A female match makes plans at her hotel bar, requests a specific drink, promises to come down—then never shows, unmatched instantly, never responds.
• Theorized explanations: Avoidance, last-minute nerves, possible catfish, or as Mackenzie suspects, a man behind the profile. (“This is totally someone who was not who they said they were…It was a man. Guaranteed.” – Mackenzie, [75:15])

The “Serial Canceler”:

[77:24–84:49]

• Multiple women report the same San Diego man making plans, weaving elaborate trauma tales (dead relatives, car trouble, crises), cancelling at the last minute, rarely shows in-person, and won’t initiate physical contact.
• Community consensus: Emotional/psychological manipulation, trauma dumping, possible fear of real intimacy, control issues.
• “The fact that he has the power that someone is disappointed that he didn't show up. This is someone who's getting off on them… It's a power for him.” – Mackenzie, [80:18, 82:07]
• “If someone told me they had cancer, I would not question it. Unfortunately, after the date, also, 15 minutes before the date is very crazy.” – Hannah, [82:54]

On “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” Groups

[67:02–70:57]

• Double-edged sword: Incredible tool for accountability and sisterhood, but use with discernment.
• “My favorite episodes are when, like, two girls come on and they’re like, yeah, we were both dating the same man...Weirdly, we have the same taste.” – Hannah & Ashley, [68:15]
• AI and image manipulation: Never trust a screenshot or a single photo—everything can be faked in 2026.

Notable Quotes & Quick Wisdom

• “All women are detectives, 100%.” — Raina, [32:20]
• “If you can't find someone online in 2026, that’s a red flag.” – Mackenzie, [38:10]
• “I feel like when people cancel, it's because they think there's someone better, but they want to keep something on the books…That makes dating now so much worse.” – Mackenzie, [84:07]
• “The more you tell someone, ‘It's a bad guy, run,’ the more they are like: ‘No.’” – Mackenzie, [61:14]
• “Trust your intuition before all else. Women are pattern connectors…But the world will gaslight you out of it.” – Theme throughout

Lighter Moments & Digestible Takeaways

• Hilarious farts-in-front-of-your-partner confessions, restaurant storytimes, and etiquette debates (e.g., splitting the bill on a first date: instant turn-off).
• Blunt relationship advice, like: “If I reach for my card and split it on a first date, we’re just friends. If I insist on paying, I never want to see you again.” — Ashley & Raina, [13:13–13:20]
• Actual PI tip: To become a licensed private investigator, “Google ‘how to be a private investigator in [your state]’.”

Practical Takeaways & Listener Action Items

1. Don’t rely on surface impressions; do your research: Google, reverse image searches, check for community/friends, and look for pattern inconsistencies. 2. Validate intuition—if something feels off, especially multiple contradictory stories or evasion, believe yourself and ask more questions. 3. Be discerning in sharing and consuming info on “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” groups; screenshots and photos can be faked. 4. Red flags pile up: Lack of friends/family, only meeting outside their environment, odd explanations, or extreme defenses are signals to dig deeper (or, often, bail).

How to Connect with the Guests

• The Dating Detectives Podcast: On all podcast platforms and socials
• Mackenzie Faultz: @freedom_barbie
• Hannah Anderson: @hannahandergraham

For more info, stories, or to submit your own dating mystery, visit The Dating Detectives podcast website.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone single (or not), offering both gut-busting laughs and genuinely life-saving dating wisdom. The collab between Girls Gotta Eat and Dating Detectives is pure investigative gold.