Love, Janessa | Episode 2: The Big Fish

Summary

Summary of "Love, Janessa | Episode 2: The Big Fish"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Con: Kaitlyn's Baby
• Season: 2
• Episode: Love, Janessa | Episode 2: The Big Fish
• Host/Author: CBC + BBC World Service
• Release Date: January 30, 2023
• Description: This episode delves into the harrowing true story of Roberto Morini, a sustainable farmer from Sardinia, who falls victim to an elaborate online romance scam orchestrated by individuals using the identity of Janessa Brazil. Over four years, Roberto loses over $250,000 chasing a mirage of love and connection, highlighting the intricate mechanisms of modern-day cons.

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Introduction: The Unusual Scam

The episode opens with Kathleen Goldhar highlighting the uniqueness of Kaitlin Braun's con, likening it to the intricate deception unravelled in "Love, Janessa." The host introduces Roberto Morini, a self-employed sustainable farmer from Sardinia, who becomes deeply entangled in an online relationship that spirals into financial and emotional devastation.

Notable Quote:

Kathleen Goldhar [00:01]: "There is no shortage of scam artists in true crime, but I'm guessing you've never heard of one quite like Kaitlin Braun."

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Meeting Janessa: The Beginning of a Digital Romance

Roberto's journey begins in early 2016 when he receives a message from a seemingly genuine woman named Hannah Alex on Facebook. Her initial interactions are innocent and friendly, discussing everyday topics like food and business.

Notable Quote:

Janessa Brazil [06:04]: "I just started to chat and interact with this person... it was like just a normal person, you know, just someone from abroad."

Roberto grows fond of Hannah, appreciating her light-hearted and supportive messages. Their conversations become more frequent and intimate over time, fostering a deep emotional bond.

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Requests for Financial Assistance

Approximately three months into their relationship, Hannah begins asking Roberto for financial help, citing reasons like broken phones and car repairs. Roberto, driven by a paternal instinct, complies willingly, sending amounts that quickly escalate from €50 to €25,000 within a few months.

Notable Quote:

Janessa Brazil [09:17]: "There was a fatherish energy that I was feeling within me. Like if I had to be the father that she never had."

Roberto's generosity blinds him to the red flags, as he rationalizes that his support will help Hannah escape her supposed hardships and build a future together.

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Rising Suspicion and Initial Doubts

As months pass, Hannah becomes increasingly evasive, avoiding video calls and live interactions. Roberto's frustration grows, prompting him to investigate her authenticity. A pivotal moment occurs when he discovers that the photos Hannah shared are actually those of Janessa Brazil, a real person who works in the adult entertainment industry.

Notable Quote:

Voice Actor [12:41]: "Hi, there are tons of Instagram accounts that are using Janessa's identity... asking for money with the most hilarious stories."

This revelation shakes Roberto's belief in the relationship, leading him to question whether Hannah Alex is merely a fabricated persona using Janessa's images.

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Confronting the Truth: The Big Fish

Determined to uncover the truth, Roberto pays $12 per minute to join a live cam session with Janessa Brazil. During the interaction, discrepancies emerge as Janessa exhibits nervous behavior, denying the connection Roberto feels. Despite this uneasy encounter, Roberto clings to hope, interpreting subsequent texts as confirmation of their genuine bond.

Notable Quote:

Janessa Brazil [15:51]: "No, no, no, it's a scam, it's scammed."

Believing that Janessa and Hannah are the same person, Roberto's desperation culminates in a plan to meet her in person. He books a flight to Dusseldorf, Germany, hopeful for a real-life connection.

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The Failed Meeting and Deeper Despair

Upon arriving in Dusseldorf, Roberto anxiously searches the terminal for Janessa. Despite multiple sightings that he assumes to be her, elusive circumstances prevent any meaningful interaction. This failed meeting intensifies Roberto's fixation, driving him further into debt as he continues to send money in hopes of securing her freedom from the adult industry.

Notable Quote:

Janessa Brazil [21:08]: "When I would go to actually get to talk to her, she would start to run and go into girls' bathrooms."

Roberto's emotional and financial resources are exhausted, culminating in an ultimatum when he can no longer sustain the financial drain. His plea for honesty and cessation of financial aid marks the end of his pursuit, leaving him financially ruined and emotionally scarred.

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Expert Insights: Understanding the Scam Mechanism

Associate Professor Anshul Rege of Temple University provides critical analysis of Roberto's experience, elucidating the systematic approach scammers employ. She explains the use of meticulously crafted playbooks that guide scammers through each stage of the con, from initial contact to financial extraction.

Notable Quote:

Kathleen Goldhar [24:10]: "If you are asked to communicate via phone, then go to this page for a whole bunch of excuses... it's all well planned."

Rege highlights the role of organized groups like the Yahoo Boys from Nigeria and the Sakawa Boys from Ghana, who operate with precision to orchestrate such scams. These networks utilize standardized scripts and strategies to maximize their success rates, making traps like Roberto's all the more effective.

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The Aftermath: Roberto's Enduring Heartache

Despite recognizing the warning signs, Roberto's deep emotional investment prevents him from fully acknowledging the scam. His enduring affection for Janessa, coupled with the significant loss of money, exemplifies the profound impact of online romance scams on victims.

Notable Quote:

Janessa Brazil [34:02]: "Moment I said, okay, this seriously is something that I don't want anymore in my life."

Roberto's story serves as a poignant reminder of the vulnerabilities individuals face in the digital age, where genuine connections can be exploited by sophisticated scammers.

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Conclusion: Ongoing Efforts to Expose and Prevent Scams

The episode concludes with Roberto's continued efforts to unearth the truth behind the Janessa scams, including a planned trip to Ghana to investigate the origins of the con artistry. This pursuit underscores the necessity for greater awareness and protective measures against such deceptive practices.

Notable Quote:

Kathleen Goldhar [39:41]: "Love Janessa is an antica and telltale production for the BBC World Service and CBC podcasts."

---

Final Thoughts

"Love, Janessa | Episode 2: The Big Fish" offers a compelling exploration of the intricate world of online romance scams, illustrating the emotional and financial toll they exact on unsuspecting victims. Through Roberto Morini's tragic experience, listeners gain valuable insights into the deceptive tactics employed by organized scam networks and the profound human impact of such cons.

Transcript

[Kathleen Goldhar]

There is no shortage of scam artists in true crime, but I'm guessing you've never heard of one quite like Kaitlin braun. For over two years, Kaitlin Braun conned more than 50 birth workers into thinking.

[Sarah Trurlevin]

That she was pregnant.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

I'm Kathleen Goldhar, and this week on Crime Story, I sit down with Sarah Trurlevin, the host of the Caitlyn's Baby. Find Crime Story wherever you get your podcasts.

[Matt Galloway]

A BBC World Service and CBC podcast production.

[Roberto Morini]

Before we start, please note this series contains adult themes and strong language. Roberto Morini is part of an exclusive event, a live video meetup, adults only. Roberto's typing questions into the chat alongside other men who also pay to be there. There's John and Big Guy.

[Sarah Trurlevin]

Hi, Big Guy.

[Roberto Morini]

The voice belongs to the woman performing on screen, Janessa Brazil. The men can watch her, but she can't see them, just their typed messages. She's sitting on the edge of a bed, wearing lace lingerie and flipping a mop of long black hair this way and that, grooving to the music. She's a cam girl, a woman who gets paid to stream explicit material live on the Internet via webcam. John's questions appear in the chat. Do you ever do a lap dance for fun or for money? For fun, John. Beside her is a homemade carnival wheel, like one you'd see on a game show, only this one is made out of cardboard and markers. When it spins, winners land on triangles that read Shake ass, Flash titties and Ride Pillow. Everyone is having a great time except for Roberto, who's heartbroken. Janessa Brazil is the woman he loves, the woman he wants to build a life with. And now here she is, half naked on the Internet, getting ready to spin the carnival wheel. She promised him she wasn't going to do this kind of work anymore. With all the money that he's been sending her, she shouldn't need to. Roberto's confused. He begins typing in the chat the one question that's burning him up. Is it really you? From CBC Podcasts and the BBC World Service. My name is Hannah Ajala and this is Love, Janessa. The story of my wild quest to find the woman whose face and body is the bait of used in catfishing schemes around the world. Episode 2 the Big Fish.

[Janessa Brazil]

Hi, I arrived.

[Roberto Morini]

Finally, Roberto is settling into his square on our virtual recording session.

[Janessa Brazil]

I am feeling already very comfortable in here. It's super cozy and everything is tranquil, so whatever is gonna flow.

[Roberto Morini]

He's a few minutes late getting to the studio because of traffic, but he's keen to get started.

[Janessa Brazil]

Everyone knows when they meet me in person in my land that I am simply someone that loves to create a garden, a real Eden Garden.

[Roberto Morini]

He's a self employed sustainable farmer in Sardinia, a mountainous Italian island in the heart of the Mediterranean, known for its white beaches and crystal blue coastline. It's not hard to understand why holidaymakers describe it as a slice of heaven.

[Janessa Brazil]

I have been living in Sardinia for basically almost all my life. So I have been growing in my family, connected to also all my uncles, my aunts, etc. Etc. And all of them have been very supportive for me all my life.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto is as open hearted as they come. You might call him a hippie. He looks like a 60s throwback, wild curly hair, leather vest, colourful shirt. He's also a romantic.

[Janessa Brazil]

I am a loyal person. So when I actually dedicate myself to someone is because I want to stay with that someone. Regardless of the challenges that may arise in life united, everything is possible. We can overcome everything.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto's in his early 30s and says he's ready to settle down. He wants a family of his own to add to the sizable Morini clan. But Roberto hasn't found his soulmate yet. It wasn't long ago that he thought he had found her. And it's that story, one that's very painful and convoluted, that I want to talk to him about. Roberto's story might make a less open person embarrassed.

[Janessa Brazil]

I'm just gonna be sharing what has been my experience and I'm gonna be more detailed as possible in everything that I remember, obviously vividly.

[Roberto Morini]

Those vivid memories begin in early 2016 when Roberto got a message on social media from a stranger, a woman he didn't recognize.

[Janessa Brazil]

So the first time that I got contacted was through Facebook and it was on account named annaalex.

[Roberto Morini]

Hannah Alex was striking with long dark hair and olive skin. She said she was born in Brazil and now lived in the us. She complimented him on the success of his startup. She wanted to get to know him.

[Sarah Trurlevin]

What foods are you cooking tonight? Is your business slow?

[Janessa Brazil]

I just started to chat and interact with this person and it was obviously saying me that it was looking what I was doing in my life, all the activities that I was posting on my social medias connected to the businesses that also I was doing online, etc. The initial period wasn't really that much of photos or voice messages or anything in the first period was pure texting. And after a few time that she was telling me like I am like this it was just normal photos, like photos in a, let's say in a park. No nudity, none of that. And it was like just a normal person, you know, just someone from abroad, from another part of the world, just taking pictures of herself.

[Roberto Morini]

Those early conversations were light hearted and exciting. Roberto looked forward to her messages each day. Messages that became more frequent, more intimate.

[Sarah Trurlevin]

You are my happiness and I want to experience true love in your presence. I will be forever loyal and show my respect to you for the love you have given me.

[Roberto Morini]

Still, he wanted to get to know her better and connect face to face. He asked to set up a video call.

[Janessa Brazil]

It was a normal request by my side legitimately. I was wondering to actually see the person I was interacting with. So I would say let's just face to face. Let's, you know, see each other so that we can see, okay, this is you, this is me. We are two separated beings. We are alive in the same time, etc. Etc. Even if we are distant in another part of the world.

[Roberto Morini]

But Hannah Alex wasn't able to talk that day. Her phone wasn't working.

[Sarah Trurlevin]

I was expecting to give you a surprise this weekend, but things couldn't go well yet. Wanted to call you. I lost that number again.

[Janessa Brazil]

Every time it was an excuse like, no, now I can't, or no, no, I broke my phone, oh, now this phone doesn't work and blah blah, blah. So for almost two months was like that.

[Roberto Morini]

So their message is continued. They tell each other about their days, talk about food, travel and a future together. This is a voice actor reading Roberto's texts.

[Voice Actor]

I love you. Just know it. I promise I will never make you cry a single tear from your face ever again.

[Sarah Trurlevin]

Thank you, Rob and I like you. Really. I sincerely want to meet with you.

[Roberto Morini]

Then about three months into their relationship came the ask. Hannah Alex needed money.

[Janessa Brazil]

Initially was for a broken phone or for fixing something in a car or buying like lotions, creams, you know, girls, things. So I was like, okay, if you want, if you need, there is no problem for me to provide you money for that.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto made a good living and was happy to help support her to buy her little luxuries she couldn't afford. In fact, he was more than happy to send her money. He almost couldn't help himself.

[Janessa Brazil]

There was a fatherish energy that I was feeling within me. Like if I had to be the father that she never had. I don't know why I had this feeling. Not just her man or her boyfriend. That's the feeling that I had within me that's what I was feeling 24 7.

[Roberto Morini]

The money transfers started off small.

[Janessa Brazil]

Initially was like €50, next 100, next 500.

[Roberto Morini]

But quickly added up.

[Janessa Brazil]

So I was sending, like, probably 50 to 25k in the first two, three months.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto isn't hung up on money. To him, it's temporary, superficial. His sustainable farming business was growing, and he wanted to help someone less fortunate. He didn't have endless resources, but he was willing to share what he did have. But as the months slipped by, Roberta got increasingly frustrated that he couldn't see or even speak to her.

[Janessa Brazil]

Are we gonna actually get to connect fully? Are we gonna actually see each other? Are you able to actually show me yourself? We can talk normally, like in a call.

[Roberto Morini]

The excuses kept coming. So did the requests for money.

[Janessa Brazil]

We haven't even seen each other. We don't even talk. We have never made a video call or anything like that. You asking me to pay you for this thing or that thing, etc.

[Roberto Morini]

From his tone, it might seem like Roberto was thinking twice about the relationship. But despite all the questions and disappointments, he couldn't cut her off, even though his bank account was slowly draining. Hannah Alex's story was sad and full of hardship. Her aunt was sick. Her father was an injured veteran who couldn't work. When she wasn't caregiving, she was a model and actress who made a living in this seedy world of adult entertainment. Roberto hated the thought of her performing in live online shows for paying customers, wearing only her underwear, flirting with other men. Hannah Alex claimed she wanted to get out of the industry, but she was stuck. She said she needed the money. That's when Roberto made a proposal. He'd pay her rent if she left the business. She said she would. But then her online cam sessions continued. A frustrated Roberto started to dig into Hannah's story. It just didn't add up.

[Janessa Brazil]

So when I started to research and I started to see all the pictures on Google, obviously I was like, what the heck am I even seeing? Like, what is this?

[Roberto Morini]

A quick web search revealed that the photo she'd sent to Roberto belonged to someone else. All those images of the striking woman with long dark hair and a killer body, those were actually pictures of a woman called, and you probably already guessed, Janessa Brazil. One of my producers first found Roberto through comments he'd posted on the website romancescamsnow.com Roberto wanted to warn others about fake accounts being run by people who were using Janessa's stolen images and identity to entangle their victims. This is one of the posts he wrote under the section Scammers Favorites.

[Voice Actor]

Hi, there are tons of Instagram accounts that are using Janessa's identity and I would like to point them out here to be sure no one gets scammed by them. These are all profiles using Janessa photos, many of them saying to be her when chatting and all asking for money with the most hilarious stories.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto wrote these comments three years into his online relationship and like many parts of his story, the messages are multi layered and at times contradictory. He says he wants to expose the online romance scammers who've stolen Janessa's images to protect the victims, but he also wants to protect Janessa. He appears convinced that he has been in contact with the real Janessa, although she'd suddenly gone quiet at the time.

[Voice Actor]

I just want to get back in touch with her as there are so much scammers in every form that I may be a victim as well. Now, I understand that she has her right to privacy as well as anyone should, but I just would like to know if she is fine.

[Roberto Morini]

When Roberto first uncovers Janessa's eye popping online presence, he's shocked she has her own website and profiles on explicit video streaming sites. These images are way more explicit than anything he'd received from Hannah Alex. Roberto knows that there are scammers using Janessa's images to lure people in. And that's probably what's going on with Hannah Alex, that she doesn't exist. She's a fiction. The thought was overwhelming. Roberta was deeply shaken.

[Janessa Brazil]

I was continuously having these kind of feelings and sensations that were really not even making me able to sleep properly at night or having a real stability.

[Roberto Morini]

But maybe, just maybe, Hannah Alex was Janessa Brazile and she didn't want to reveal her true identity out of concern it might complicate the relationship. If so, that beautiful woman he'd been sending his innermost thoughts to, along with a staggering number of money transfers, was still out there. It's clearly a stretch, but Roberto couldn't shake the possibility. So he decided to ask her himself. He logged into one of Janessa's online video chats and there she was on screen, talking and laughing in the flesh.

[Sarah Trurlevin]

Hi, big guy.

[Janessa Brazil]

How are you?

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto was paying $12 per minute to join a cam session with a woman called Janessa Brazil. It took a few minutes, but Roberto finally got up the nerve to ask the questions that were eating him up inside. Is it really you? Do you know that romance cameras are using your pictures pretending to be you? And then he got more personal.

[Janessa Brazil]

I started to Ask, like, do you know me? You know who I am? Like, I am talking with you or there is someone else. But when I said it and when I tell her I was Roberto Marini, etc, she had a total different reaction. Like, she started to get nervous, she started to scratch her arms, she started to look around and she started to say, no, no, no, it's a scam, it's scammed.

[Roberto Morini]

I've seen a clip of this session that Roberto recorded with his phone, but he didn't capture the part he's describing here.

[Janessa Brazil]

So I stayed like, for another more minute because it was even costly to do that. And I just said, okay, it's okay, it's fine. Have a good day. And I just got out. But in the moment that I was waiting to get out, I see that actually she get the phone. In the same moment she gets the phone, I get a text message.

[Roberto Morini]

He says that message was from Hannah Alex, or should he now be calling her Janessa? Roberta is certain that the timing is more than just a coincidence.

[Janessa Brazil]

I just started to receive messages of like, please, sorry, I know that I told you I wouldn't have been doing those things anymore and blah, blah, blah, because those were things that I would obviously tell to her, like, I'm paying for everything. I'm paying for your food, I'm paying for your house. I'm paying for everything that you may need. Just stop doing that.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto says she was apologizing for continuing to work on adult streaming sites and she'd promised she'd stop if he paid her living expenses.

[Janessa Brazil]

So got to this feeling of like, maybe seriously, this person is like, really talking with me. Maybe she's trying to hide her identity or whatever may be, but maybe really, she's her.

[Roberto Morini]

This was the first time he'd seen her on video, the first interaction they'd had where he could see her face. He was convinced Janessa Brazil and Hannah Alex were the same person. But by now, Roberto had left the live video session so he couldn't see if she was texting in real time. He took these messages and their perfect timing as confirmation that he was actually in contact with with Janessa Brazile and that the two of them were in love.

[Matt Galloway]

Uncover from CBC Podcasts explores a different high stakes true crime and justice story each season. From the Nexium sex cult to the satanic panic of the 1980s or the investigation into a serial killer targeting gay men in the village. Find uncovered wherever you get your podcasts. Why are humans so smart and yet so stupid? Is black plastic bad for me or not. Can the United States actually take over Canada? We look at these and all kinds of other big questions on the Current, our award winning podcast that brings you stories and conversations to expand your worldview. My name is Matt Galloway. We're going to look for solutions to wicked problems. We will actually listen to each other and we'll make time to find the delight that exists in our world. You can find the Current. Wherever you get your podcasts, we'll talk to you soon.

[Roberto Morini]

After that brief live interaction, Roberto and Janessa's relationship went back to the way it had always been. No phone or video calls, just texts and emails. They professed their love to each other while Roberto started to sink into debt so he could keep supporting her. Then one day, Roberto got some good news. No great news. Janessa was planning to visit Europe. She was heading to Dusseldorf, Germany, a 90 minute flight from Sardinia. Roberto jumped at the chance to see her and booked a ticket. He wanted to pick her up and bring her home to Sardinia so they could start their new life together.

[Janessa Brazil]

I was obviously having a very happy and cheerful moment in which like, okay, finally let's go to take her from the airport so we can start to show her the Iceland. We can give her accommodation and everything. And it was obviously something that I was waiting for so long that wasn't seeming real.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto and his dad fly to Dusseldorf with plenty of time to spare. They don't want her to arrive before they do. They wait for Janessa's flight to land. Each minute feels like an hour as they stare at the arrival's gate. And then Roberto thinks he sees her. He's sure it's her. That face in the sea of travelers. The face he'd seen in all those photos and in the online video meetup, but never in person. She's strolling through the terminal, pulling a suitcase behind her. Roberto darts across the room but loses sight of her. He pushes his way through the crowd, but she's moving faster than he can. As he looks over and around the throng of travelers, an unwelcome thought crosses his mind. It almost feels like she's avoiding him. He's trying to catch her eye, but he can't.

[Janessa Brazil]

When I would go to actually get to talk to her, she would like start to run and go into girls bathrooms and stuff like that. So at that point I was like, my mind is tricking me completely. Am I like completely weirded out what is going on?

[Roberto Morini]

He scours the airport. There's no way she's hiding from him. They Made plans to meet right there in the airport. But after a thorough search, he has to face the fact that she's gone. He'd missed his chance to meet her, talk to her, hold her, simply be with her. Roberto was crushed. He'd become fixated on creating a life with someone he couldn't have. And his sense of self was slipping away.

[Janessa Brazil]

That was like so merged with that idea that I had in my mind of being in connection with that person, that there was no separation. I was feeling like her presence even in my house and everything. But it was within me. Because of course, outside there was no one. There was just me.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto and his father went home. For Roberto's family, the incident at the Dusseldorf airport was a turning point.

[Janessa Brazil]

So they say me why you keep doing this? Don't you see that is a scam for sure. They are tricking you just for the money and blah, blah, blah, the stories.

[Roberto Morini]

The excuses, the strange sighting at the airport. It still wasn't enough to break Roberto's bond with her. They kept talking, he kept sending her money.

[Janessa Brazil]

I love her. I just love her. I want to see her finally happy. And out of all these things, like, I don't care if it's costing me that amount of time, that amount of money, that amount of energy. I just want to see her happy.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

Really. Anyone can fall for this, right? There's no one type of victim Angel.

[Roberto Morini]

Reggae has seen relationships like the one between Roberto and his Janessa play out over and over.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

What makes one gullible, it's not something related to your intelligence, your career. It's so much more than that.

[Roberto Morini]

Anshul is an associate professor of criminal justice at Philadelphia's Temple University. She studied online romance scams, including the formulaic approach that's so often used to groom victims.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

There have been folks who are like, well, this seems kinda too good to be true. But they still follow their heart over their perhaps brain. Right? Because we're looking again for that human touch. And I think that's what really makes us so, so heart wrenchingly painful.

[Roberto Morini]

When you step back and try to unravel how Hannah, Alex or Janessa won Roberto's trust, it's as if she was following a playbook. And as wild as it sounds, she might actually have been.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

It's almost like a flowchart, if you will. Oh, you need initial contact messages, go to page two. If they ask you about your financial situation, go to page three. If I want to know about, go to pages four and five. If I want to know about your nature Go to this page in the playbook that demonstrates your trustworthiness.

[Roberto Morini]

So it's like a manual, how to guide.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

Yep.

[Roberto Morini]

Anshul sent me a digital copy of one of these manuals. In her research, she discovered that they circulate among scammers. The 23 page document includes chapter headings like ways of saying hi to a client and why we don't make calls. The second one is in all caps. The manual is practical and specific. It refers to victims as clients. There are pages and pages of messages to send at each stage of the scam. If you're trying to reel someone in.

[Sarah Trurlevin]

You could text, I want to be the reason you look into your phone and smile, or I can't think of anything better than getting a reply from you.

[Roberto Morini]

And more intimate conversation starters that ask about a client's family or about their hopes and dreams in life. The manual also includes a lot of advice on how to avoid tough questions and sticky situations as they arise.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

If you are asked to communicate via phone, then go to this page for a whole bunch of excuses, excuses. And if you're ready to extract funds, start going to these parts of the playbook that get into the narratives that you're going to need. So it's all well planned. And these are 30, 40, 50 page playbooks that are designed with a whole bunch of experience behind it.

[Roberto Morini]

And it starts from the very first message. That casual first greeting is anything but.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

Typically, the longest part of a scam is really the grooming process. And that's where you're going to try to establish that loving relationship, try to develop a strong bond. And that could take anywhere from six months to two years. So the return on investment, this is the long con. You're in it for the long run.

[Roberto Morini]

And something that is very common in the grooming stages is love bombing.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

Yes, it's intense showering and bombarding of love and affection and attention to show them that you are crazy about them, that you absolutely love them, that this is your soulmate. It's really similar to getting addicted to a drug. So it's that same kind of attachment dependency, so that withdrawal seems impossible and painful. Right. So that's what gets you hooked.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto is the first to admit that he was hooked on his relationship with Janessa. Despite the distance, the lack of FaceTime and all the money flowing from his wallet to hers, despite it all, the connection he felt was real.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

It changes from you to we. And so even, even that idea of now we are in this together, I am doing this for us so that we can be. So psychologically, the messaging of it changes as well, to go from one to a pair, a couple. And that's what you're trying to establish. It's almost similar to being brainwashed, right? You hear this over and over and over and over again every single day. That is also what Love Bombing is trying to do. You are led so far along that when that request comes, you have absolutely fallen for this person. So you are really speaking to the core human emotion of what we call the natural inclination to help. As human beings, we are wired to help each other out. That's just how we're built.

[Roberto Morini]

It's definitely the way Roberto's built. He felt compelled to help her, propelled by a fatherish energy, as he describes it. And he kept holding out hope that once Janessa was financially stable, she would finally leave her old life behind to be with him.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

The way this is framed from the scammer's narrative is once I get the money from you, I can clear this hurdle and we can be together. And then what that's actually doing is sending the message that you not sending me money is preventing us from being together. That's what's holding it back. So again, they're not explicit with it, but it's very cleverly done, it's subliminally done, and that's what makes it so brilliant and so successful.

[Roberto Morini]

It's 2019, and Roberto is still entangled in a virtual relationship with a woman he called his girlfriend. They had never met, never talked on the phone for three years. He believed he could give her the fresh start she deserved. She could leave the adult entertainment industry for a comfortable life with him on his beloved island of Sardinia.

[Janessa Brazil]

Even if we have never met, and even if I had never got the ability to actually see her or know her physically, I was feeling that it was something very important for myself to actually be present for this person in that period of her life. So, yes, of course I was loving her unconditionally without even having a doubt about it.

[Roberto Morini]

Roberto couldn't wait any longer. He needed to be with her. He knew if he could just get her to Italy, all of the obstacles and challenges keeping them apart would melt away. So he offered to buy her a one way ticket to Sardinia. They could meet at the Cau Uri airport, jump into his car and drive off into the Italian sunset together. To his delight, Janessa's reply was swift. Yes, I'll come. We can finally be together. The day of her arrival, Roberto has everything planned out. His home, his family, his farm, they're all waiting for her to complete his life and kickstart the next chapter. At the airport, people begin streaming out the doors. Roberto scans each face as it comes through the gate, but none belong to Janessa. Then he notices a man by the exit holding up a sign, like one of those hired drivers waiting to pick up someone.

[Janessa Brazil]

I actually get to see one person with, you know, a piece of paper with Brazil written.

[Roberto Morini]

His sign reads Brazil as in Janessa Brazil. At least that's what Roberto thinks.

[Janessa Brazil]

And I started to see this young, like slim, long haired woman, very tanned, walking out from the gate. And in the moment that I actually see, and I get to see that to me, like actually was there.

[Roberto Morini]

Once again, Roberto finds himself at an airport watching a woman he's convinced is Janessa from a distance. But once again, he can't quite get to her. She's surrounded by a group of people that won't let him through.

[Janessa Brazil]

No, no, you can't, you can't, you can't come here. And they start to take her out with like, bodyguards, I don't know, maybe security people. And when she get out from the airport, she get into a car.

[Roberto Morini]

The car drives off and she's gone. In the days that followed that crashing scene at the airport in Sardinia, Roberto gave Ganessa an ultimatum. Almost four years had passed since their first text exchange.

[Janessa Brazil]

When I got to the point that she actually was starting to say me, yeah, we can't meet anymore. I can't actually stay in the Iceland, and blah, blah, blah, I said, like, okay, this is done. I don't want to know anything anymore about it because I am seriously giving all my time, all my energies, all my finances that I said, okay, this has get to a stop. Because I arrived to the point that, seriously, I think the total amount that I have sent out was over $250,000.

[Roberto Morini]

You heard that, right, $250,000. Roberto says he had drained his savings, borrowed money from friends and relatives, taken out loans. He was finally tapped out financially, emotionally, spiritually.

[Janessa Brazil]

When I reached the maximum amount and the maximum availability that I could actually send out, I just clearly said, okay, at this point, it's really either you really love me, meaning that you love me even if I have, or I don't have money, or this is all just something that is getting to be a tool that you use to trick me because right now I don't have anymore. Anymore, I give everything to you.

[Roberto Morini]

That's when the relationship ended. Janessa went silent. Roberto finally started to let go that.

[Janessa Brazil]

Moment I said, okay, this seriously is something that I don't want anymore in my life. I don't want this cognitive dissonance anymore. I don't want it anymore.

[Roberto Morini]

Back in the studio, I show Roberto a picture of Janessa I found online wearing a white dress. Is this the woman he loved?

[Janessa Brazil]

Yes. That was, let's say, her appearance when she was younger. And it's very look liking. The person that I saw in the airport, it's her.

[Roberto Morini]

I ask Roberto to describe the person we're looking at.

[Janessa Brazil]

I can see a woman that is actually acting as a model in this situation that is probably doing a photo shoot, and that is not really very much present because I can see from her eyes that she's just looking in that camera without even a knowing about why she is taking those photos and those pictures and the fact that she was dressed in white in that photo just made me think that she was in that state. Like I am a white piece of paper in which everyone is actually able to write down something and make me be whatever they want me to be. And I see that she is surely not at her best, because one person that is at her best is smiley, and she's not smiling right here.

[Roberto Morini]

After all this time, Roberto still feels connected to Janessa and feels he understands her perhaps better than she understands herself. I ask how he felt when he saw her or a woman who looked like her that last time.

[Janessa Brazil]

That time I saw the face of a person that was actually trying so much to convince herself that she wasn't living that life, because it was a middle smile, like, am I really into this? What is going on? That's the first session I had.

[Roberto Morini]

I tell Roberto that I'm trying to find Janessa so she can share her side of the story and clear up any confusion about her life, career, personal relationships. I ask if there's anything he'd like me to tell her.

[Janessa Brazil]

Just to love herself and to forgive herself for whatever have happened in her life. And if he really needs help to find out someone that can really help her, I am always in the same place. If she really wanted to actually get to be in contact with me or text me or even just exchange some words, that's it.

[Roberto Morini]

Talking to Roberto now, almost two years since he was last in touch with his Janessa, it's clear that his affection for her is still very strong. He also believes his connection was with the real Janessa, Brazil. He knows he was in touch with some scammers along the way, but he is certain that his trail eventually led to A deep love with Janessa herself. Professor Anshul Rege says this is the hallmark of a successful scam.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

It appears irrational or it doesn't make sense to the outsider, but when you're in the scam, it seems completely natural and organic and it's a progression of how a relationship should be headed, right? So. So when you're in it, you don't really understand that you're being misled or you're being lied to.

[Roberto Morini]

As he shared his story, there were many times that I expected Roberto to tell me when he'd figured it out. The day he knew that Hannah, Alex or Janessa wasn't who she said she was, I expected him to say that he discovered she was actually a man living in South America or a woman living in Canada, or even someone living a ferry ride away in Italy. But he never did. According to Anshul, it's even more likely that Roberto's scam was being run by a highly organized group of people, possibly living in West Africa.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

You've got the Sakawa Boys, you have the Yahoo Boys. It's almost like a well oiled machine, right? This is what they do. This is their 9 to 5, if you will.

[Roberto Morini]

Anshul referred to the Yahoo Boys, a group based in Nigeria, and the Sakawa Boys who live in Ghana. Two networks that use similar playbooks and have created similar systems to reel in so many victims. In fact, the 23 page playbook, the how to Guide for Scammers, was traced back to a group in Nigeria. When Anshul connects these scams to West Africa, it reminds me of something Roberto had said. It sounded odd at the time, but now turns out to be another piece of this very large puzzle. He mentioned that in one of their early conversations, Hannah Alex told him she was living in Ghana for a short time with her family. A random fact that got lost in this sea of details.

[Janessa Brazil]

She was actually living in Ghana and that they had properties and blah blah, blah.

[Roberto Morini]

That fact doesn't seem so random anymore.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

Ladies and gentlemen, it's our pleasure to.

[Roberto Morini]

Welcome you next time on Love Janessa. I travel to Ghana to learn more about the Janessa scams and try to find some of the people behind them.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

To the Kutoka International Airport Accra time now is 28 minutes past 6pm with.

[Roberto Morini]

An outside temperature 27 degrees Celsius.

[Janessa Brazil]

Your continued safety and unfortunately politely ask.

[Kathleen Goldhar]

You to remain seated until the aircraft.

[Janessa Brazil]

Has come to a complete stop.

[Roberto Morini]

Love Janessa is an antica and telltale production for the BBC World Service and CBC podcasts I'm Hannah Ajala. Our producers are Katrina Onstad and Laura Regare. Associate producer is Hailey Choi. Sound design by Philip Wilson and Janine White. Executive producers are Stuart Cox and Jago Lee. Emily Kanell is our coordinating producer. Chris Oak is executive producer of CBC Podcasts. Arif Noorani is the director of CBC Podcasts and John Mennell is the Podcast Commissioning Editor at the BBC World Service. Thanks for listening.

[Matt Galloway]

A BBC World Service and CBC Podcast production.