Vault: Her Cousin LIED To Her Over Money. Was It for Good Reason?

Summary

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The Bert Show: “Vault: Her Cousin LIED To Her Over Money. Was It for Good Reason?”

Original Air Date: April 7, 2026
Summary by: The Bert Show Cast (Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy & team)

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Bert Show centers around a dramatic and emotional dilemma involving a listener, Cynthia, whose cousin deceived her and her mother out of $5,000 under false pretenses. The conversation examines family history, the challenges of lending money within families, betrayal, and the hard lessons learned when trust is broken. The Bert Show cast provides candid advice and relatable commentary, staying true to their real, funny, and authentic style.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Background: Family Money and Mistrust

• Cynthia recounts a long history of her cousin's irresponsibility:
  • Both cousins inherited substantial money from their grandmother meant for college; Cynthia’s cousin spent hers on partying, not education.
  • The cousin, now 27, lives at home, is unemployed, has two children, and recently claimed to need money for hand surgery after an accident.
  • Cynthia and her mother were asked for $5,000 for this surgery.
    • [01:36] Cynthia: “Our grandmother gave us both a substantial amount of money that would have paid for three out of four years of college. Never went to school, she used that money for partying. And you know, we're 27, she's still living at home.”

2. Previous Advice: Don’t Give the Money

• The show and its community unanimously advised against lending or giving the money, predicting the cousin would misuse it.

  • [02:11] Host Cynthia: “Every call in, saying the same thing.”
  • [02:17] Co-host Jen: “It’s not like you’re lending her the money. You’re giving it to her.”

• Alternative offered:

  • [02:29] Co-host Jen: “The suggestion from one of our listeners was she should go to the doctor with her and pay the doctor directly...not just give her the money.”

3. Family Pressure and a Change of Heart

• Cynthia’s mother, swayed by concern for the cousin’s children, scraped together $2,000 of her own, asking Cynthia to contribute $3,000. Together, they gave the full $5,000.

  • [03:28] Cynthia: “My mom had this total change...we really need to think about her children...and I was like, okay...Let’s give her another chance.”

• The cousin appeared grateful and emotional upon receiving the money, making Cynthia feel they’d done the right thing—initially.

4. The Deception Revealed

• Cynthia’s mother soon learns, via another family member, that the cousin lied:
  • The money was not for surgery but for a down payment on a pre-foreclosure home because her parents wanted her out of their house. The cousin’s entire family participated in the deception.
  • [04:17] Cynthia: “We had been completely duped. Completely duped.”
  • [04:48] “She’s out there trying to buy a house with it, and...it’s not gonna work out anyway.”

5. Emotional Fallout and Next Steps

• Cynthia’s mother is devastated; both plan to cancel their checks before they’re cashed, anticipating a serious family rift.
  • [05:25] Co-host Jen: “Is it that her hand isn't hurt at all?”
  • [05:30] Cynthia: “I mean, it’s hurt, but...apparently, it’s fine. Apparently.”
  • [06:13] Cynthia confirms they gave their checks on Saturday and will cancel them immediately after the bank holiday.

6. Cast Reaction: Hard Truths About Lending Family Money

• The Bert Show cast empathizes with Cynthia but calls out the repeated pattern:

  • [05:46] Host Cynthia: “You knew the history...she’s shown you in the past what she was all about and you gave her the cash and she did with...it could have been predicted, right?”
  • [06:00] Cynthia: “You always want to believe that someone is going to try to do better. But to be lied to, like bold face lied to…”

• Reflection on family dynamics:

  • [06:36] Cynthia clarifies the cousin is her mother’s sister’s daughter, meaning Cynthia’s mom will have to cut ties with her own sister.
  • [07:02] Cynthia confirms the cousin’s parents were in on the lie because they didn’t have enough to give their daughter the whole amount.

7. Listener Calls & Final Advice

• Listener Marie: “You should just cancel the check...if you cancel your check, it'll all be her problem.” [07:39]

• Listener Doreen: “Start a savings account for the kids, and when they call and want to know why, tell them that...at least get them a better start than what apparently she can do.” [08:49]

• The cast agrees: cancel the checks, learn from your instincts, and beware of family money entanglements.

  • [09:32] Cynthia: “This is a lesson to listen to your gut instincts...your gut tells you the right thing to do, generally.”

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Memorable Quotes

• [04:17] Cynthia: “We had been completely duped. Completely duped.”
• [05:46] Host Cynthia: “You knew the history...she’s shown you in the past what she was all about and you gave her the cash and she did with...it could have been predicted, right?”
• [06:00] Cynthia: “You always want to believe that someone is going to try to do better. But to be lied to, like bold face lied to…”
• [09:32] Cynthia: “This is a lesson to listen to your gut instincts...your gut tells you the right thing to do, generally.”
• [09:46] Co-host Jen: “She tugged on the heartstrings...you weren’t making the decision to give her the money for her. It was for her kids and to give her kids a better life.”

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Important Timestamps

• [01:36] - Cynthia explains the family’s financial history with her cousin.
• [02:29] - Listeners’ alternative suggestion: pay the doctor directly.
• [03:28] - Cynthia’s mother has a change of heart and asks Cynthia to give money.
• [04:17] - The truth surfaces: the cousin lied about her need for the money.
• [05:46] - Cast reflects on ignoring red flags in family relationships.
• [06:36] - Family lines drawn: the ripple effect of the lie across generations.
• [07:39] - Listener Marie advises: cancel the check, let the cousin deal with consequences.
• [08:49] - Listener Doreen suggests setting up a savings account for the children.
• [09:32] - Cynthia summarizes her lesson on following gut instinct.

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Takeaways

• Lending money to family, especially with a history of irresponsibility, rarely ends well—even with good intentions.
• Emotional manipulation and family pressure can cloud judgment, but trusting your instincts is crucial.
• Being honest about boundaries and consequences is necessary to protect yourself and your future relationships.

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This episode offers a cautionary tale for anyone navigating the treacherous waters of family, money, and trust—with the Bert Show’s signature blend of empathy, candor, and humor.

Transcript

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[Host Cynthia]

All right, let's refresh your memory here with Cynthia from a couple of days ago.

[Caller Cynthia]

I love my cousin and I want to help her, but there's like a long history here of irresponsibility and I feel like that should not be rewarded. Our grandmother gave us both a substantial amount of money that would have paid for three out of four years of college. Never went to school, she used that money for partying. And you know, we're 27, she's still living at home. She got pregnant a second time, she doesn't work. And then she had a car accident maybe five or six years ago. Now she needs surgery on her hand. Her mom calls my mom and was like, I'm so sorry to ask, but if you could just give us a little bit for the surgery part, maybe a little torch. They asked my mom for $5,000.

[Host Cynthia]

So like Melissa said, this is one of the few cases where it was unanimous advice.

[Caller Cynthia]

Yeah.

[Co-host Melissa]

Our advice was don't give the money

[Host Cynthia]

and the virtual community too. Every call and saying the same thing.

[Co-host Jen]

Because everybody was like, you're not going to get it back. You know, if you give. It's not like you're lending her the money. You're giving it to her.

[Host Cynthia]

She didn't want to. So what was the email?

[Co-host Jen]

The email suggestion from listener because her cousin needed some sort of surgery on her hand. But our listener was concerned that even gave her the money, that maybe she wouldn't even spend it on the surgery, she'd spend it on something else. And the suggestion from one of our listeners was she should go to the doctor with her and pay the doctor directly if she wanted to help her out, pay the medical bill directly at the doctor's office and not just give her the money to pay for the

[Co-host Marie]

surgery or put a lien on her hand. So if you shrub it off, I

[Co-host Jen]

thought that was a good suggestion. We didn't think of.

[Host Cynthia]

Cynthia is back with us. Hey, Cynthia.

[Caller Cynthia]

Hey. Good morning, guys.

[Co-host Melissa]

Good morning.

[Host Cynthia]

We thought this was gonna be like a 30 second conversation. Your cousin comes into town, she wants the cash, you say no. There's a bit of an argument. We wash our hands of it and we move on.

[Caller Cynthia]

Oh, yeah. It has turned into something. I can't even describe how I'm feeling this morning, but there's been a little bit of a debacle over the weekend.

[Co-host Melissa]

Okay.

[Caller Cynthia]

It started out, everything was, you know, I was expecting it to be, you know, I was expecting to be confronted. And my mom and I had conversation the day before the barbecue. My mom calls me back and says, listen, I really been thinking about this, you know, the right thing to do. We really need to think about her children who didn't ask to be brought into this world. We need to help her so that she can get work. We need to help her fix her hand. And I was like, okay. So my mom had this total change. She also said that she was able, my mom was personally able to come up with $2,000. So if I could just give the additional three, everything would be taken care of. So I said, you know what? Okay, I understand. Let's give her another chance. And Try to help those kids. So we went to the barbecue. My cousin was like almost in tears. She was so happy. She said it was really going to help her change her life for the better. And we gave her the money. Well, I felt pretty good about the decision, even though I knew that she's had a history until yesterday. My mom called me last night, furious. She's crying. She's like, can barely catch her breath. She's so angry. And what she told me was she had found out from another family member that we had been completely duped. Completely duped. What my cousin is doing is buying a pre foreclosure home. Her parents want her out of the house. She wants to be out of the house. So the whole family, my cousin's whole family lied to us about what that money was for. So she's out there trying to buy a house with it and she doesn't have enough money. So what's probably going to happen is she's going to buy the house and it's not going to work out anyway. We're going to lose all that this morning. What I have to do, My mom has decided to cancel her check. And I think I need to cancel my check. And this is going to be a risk that may be irreparable in the family. It's shocking to me.

[Co-host Jen]

Wow. Is it that her hand isn't hurt at all?

[Caller Cynthia]

I mean, it's hurt, but it's. She's insane and it's completely damaged. She can't work. It's fine. Apparently. It's fine. Apparently.

[Co-host Marie]

I hope it works. You got paid for a mortgage.

[Host Cynthia]

400.4Q100.

[Co-host Marie]

Yeah, it's a lot.

[Co-host Melissa]

A lot of people sign when you close on a house.

[Host Cynthia]

I understand where your mom was coming from here and all, but I mean, you guys knew the history. You knew what she was all about. She has shown you in the past what she was all about and you gave her the cash and she did with. I mean, it could have been predicted, right?

[Caller Cynthia]

You know, you just always want to believe that someone is going to try to do better. But to be lied to, like bold face lied to.

[Co-host Melissa]

Right? It's not your. It's not your fault that she lied. Now you gave her the checks. You gave her those checks yesterday, day before.

[Caller Cynthia]

Yeah, Saturday.

[Co-host Melissa]

Yeah.

[Co-host Jen]

Yeah.

[Co-host Melissa]

I would definitely cancel it.

[Caller Cynthia]

I mean, because bank holiday, my mom was like, call first thing this morning. As soon as the bank's open, just cancel them. And then you know it's gonna be a rift in the family. But this is just Ridiculous.

[Co-host Melissa]

It's gonna be a rift in the family anyway.

[Caller Cynthia]

Yeah, exactly.

[Co-host Jen]

So how is she, your cousin? Like, does this make your mom cut off other family members too?

[Caller Cynthia]

Well, because they lied as well. I mean, everybody sat there and talked about that surgery, you know, the whole time of the barbecue. So, yeah, my mom is. I think that's what's even more devastating. Kind of always known my cousin's a little bit of a shadester, but the fact that her parents got involved too. Yeah, you know, it really makes me a little bit clearer on how she was raised.

[Host Cynthia]

Now, is it, is it possible that she duped her parents also? So they're not in on the whole thing?

[Caller Cynthia]

No, I think they, they were, they were in on it. And the problem is they don't have enough money to give her. They gave her some for the house because $5,000 really wouldn't be enough anyway. But they gave her some. But they were short. They were just kinda.

[Co-host Melissa]

I think Jen was asking, like, how is her, your mom? Who is it her sister or brother's

[Caller Cynthia]

daughter or is it her sister's daughter?

[Co-host Melissa]

Her sister's daughter. So her and her sister are gonna have to cut ties over this.

[Caller Cynthia]

Oh, it's gonna be bad. I mean, my mom, I haven't. She's pretty, you know, calm and cool headed. But yesterday it was unlike anything I've ever seen. Felt like.

[Host Cynthia]

Hey, Marie, good morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller]

Good morning. You guys should just cancel the check because even if she buys the house and the anger of knowing how she bought the house is gonna put a rift in the family anyway. So if you cancel your check that it'll all be her problem. You know, it'll be a maybe 25, $30 fee. That would be nice to give her that to cover their balance check. Balance check fee. But just cancel it.

[Co-host Melissa]

Yeah, cancel the check because you're, you're not, she's not spending it on what you offer to pay for. So, I mean, there's no.

[Co-host Marie]

I think you cancel the check if they give you any grief. Point out the fact that maybe it could almost be fraud like what she asked you to do.

[Co-host Melissa]

They can't give you grief.

[Host Cynthia]

Maybe it's because people like to report things that go bad, but I know very few family money transactions that go well.

[Co-host Marie]

Yeah, because you never hear about them. Like you said, it's not that people don't like to report things that go bad, but if, if I loan 100 bucks to my parents for some and they pay me back a week later, you don't say it's a non issue because you like to think that that 90% of transactions happen that way. But when you loan someone, what was your total? 3 grand plus your mom's 2 grand and you're duped for it, then you tell everybody on the radio, God bless you.

[Host Cynthia]

Hey, Doreen, good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller]

Morning. How are you?

[Host Cynthia]

Good. Thank you for calling.

[Caller]

Yeah, what I think they should do is they should cancel their check, but start a savings account for the kids. And when they call and want to know why, tell them that you've canceled the checks. You're going to take care of the kids or at least get them a better start than what apparently she can do. But someone needs to tell them all that she's a bad, bad person.

[Caller Cynthia]

Edit myself. Edit myself.

[Co-host Marie]

Somebody wanted to cuss.

[Host Cynthia]

Yeah, there's not many more reasons to. To take calls because everybody's saying cancel the check.

[Co-host Melissa]

Well, it's a relief that yesterday was a holiday that you have a chance to cancel the check before she cashed it.

[Caller Cynthia]

Absolutely. And just, you know, this is a lesson to listen to your gut instincts. You know, we all talked about this last week. We all knew that she had a history. But your gut tells you the right thing to do. Generally.

[Host Cynthia]

I think, I think you're probably right.

[Co-host Jen]

Yeah, but she tugged on the heartstrings and you know, like you said, you weren't making the decision to give her the money for her. It was for her kids and to give her kids a better life.

[Host Cynthia]

And then you get moms in on it also. And then when you have the aunt pressuring you too. But she showed you what she was before this weekend.

[Caller Cynthia]

You know that's right. Well, you guys knew it and I really appreciate y' all help.

[Co-host Melissa]

Yeah, we knew her.

[Co-host Marie]

Hey, where is that house?

[Co-host Melissa]

Her reputation preceded her.

[Co-host Marie]

That house that she's gonna buy is a pretty good deal right now, probably.

[Host Cynthia]

Thanks, Cynthia. Appreciate it.

[Caller Cynthia]

Thanks, guys. Bye.

[Host Cynthia]

Bye.

[Co-host Marie]

Listen, it's the Birch Show.

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