The Dating Detectives (Dear Media)
Episode: Helen Undercover: The Strip Mall Secret
Release Date: December 29, 2025
Overview
In this special year-end episode, comedian Hanna Anderson and professional private investigator (PI) Mackenzie Fultz welcome fellow PI Helen, business partner to fan-favorite Ken, for a juicy deep-dive into one of Helen’s most memorable cases: uncovering the real identity and double life of a woman in a long-distance relationship. The trio explores what it’s like to be a woman in the PI world, uncovers the messy truth behind dating app deceptions (“dogfishing”), and shares wild behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of relationship investigations.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Introducing Helen & The World of Female PIs
- The hosts reflect on the importance of representation in the PI field, noting that being a woman can be both an asset and a challenge in private investigation.
- Helen describes how she got started: a cold email to Ken turned into a partnership and a 5-year PI career sparked by a lifelong love for true crime ([05:02]-[07:04]).
- Quote – Helen: “I literally just googled LAPIs … cold email Ken … a week later, here we are five years later.” [06:10]
- The conversation touches on licensing requirements (in California: 3,000 hours with a criminal justice degree or 6,000 hours without) and the self-starter nature of the job.
2. Case Recap – The LA ‘Dogfish’ & The Strip Mall Secret
- Client: Out-of-state woman dating an LA local for a year, feeling something "off" in the relationship but unable to put her finger on it.
- Red Flag Moment: At dinner with the subject’s (girlfriend’s) family, a supposed uncle reveals he only owns one business location, contradicting her "multiple locations" tale ([10:46]-[11:17]).
- Helen: “That’s when the femme-tuition comes in … if she’s lying about this, what else?” [11:18]
- Client’s request: Full spectrum PI work — background check, surveillance, and reality check to see if she’s being deceived.
The Stakeout: Discovering the Truth
- Armed only with the subject’s car model and address, Helen embarks on tricky LA surveillance.
- By luck, Helen spots the BMW leaving the high-rise. After hours of tailing, the PI witnesses:
- The subject entering a massage parlor in a strip mall — suspicious, considering her supposed managerial day job ([13:20]-[15:06]).
- The parlor is listed on "Rub Maps," a directory for illicit massage locations. Helen witnesses a string of male clients, cash transactions, and one especially memorable moment: a plumber, post-visit, using baby wipes to clean himself in the parking lot.
- Quote – Helen: “He pulls out his schlong and starts cleaning it … all 9:30 in the morning.” [16:44]
- Helen confirms the subject’s number is registered to an escort website, solidifying suspicions ([21:10]).
Telling the Client
- The PI delivers a detailed, factual report (not interpretive, just observations).
- Helen: “I don’t make assumptions … I just give the facts. Eight men in two hours, all with cash.” ([24:22])
- The client, originally planning to move to LA and uproot her life, decides to break things off … momentarily. Helen, following the subject on Instagram, later spots the couple together at a Bad Bunny concert — proving that knowing the truth doesn’t always mean a clean break ([26:12]-[27:27]).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Downtown LA, but a high rise … good luck.” – Helen on the challenges of urban surveillance [13:20]
- “The first thing we did was Google her number, and it came up to an escort page … step one, Google who you’re dating.” – Helen on due diligence ([21:10])
- “I have burner Instagrams. I need the tea.” – Helen, on keeping tabs even after cases wrap [22:02]
- “You see the ugliest parts of people … when they don’t know they’re being watched.” – Helen, on human nature ([30:16])
- “Everybody lies.” – Both Mackenzie and Helen, summarizing a hard lesson from PI work ([43:18])
Important Segments with Timestamps
- Helen’s PI origin story: [05:02]–[07:04]
- Explanation of PI licensing and requirements: [07:04]–[08:17]
- Start of LA dogfish case: [10:02]
- First red flag/family dinner: [11:00]–[11:26]
- Surveillance logistics in Downtown LA: [12:29]–[13:33]
- Massage parlor discovery / Rub Maps reveal: [15:06]–[16:44]
- Parking lot post-massage antics: [16:44]
- PI advice on client red flags: [35:02]–[36:05]
- Debate: Should you background-check your date? [37:08]–[39:39]
- Women’s superpowers as undercover PIs: [40:36]–[41:55]
- Staying positive & trusting people as PIs: [42:23]–[44:14]
- PI advice for dating & meeting people online: [37:08], [44:25]–[45:38]
Bonus: Quick Fire “Craziest Things Seen in Parking Lots”
- Helen recounts the plumber cleaning himself after a massage parlor visit ([16:44]).
- Mackenzie recalls someone pooping and brushing their teeth outside a Barnes & Noble before heading to an office job ([29:49]).
Advice for Listeners
From Helen & Mackenzie (Paraphrased):
- “Always Google who you’re dating — check their number, social, everything.”
- “If you’re serious about someone you met online, spend a couple of hundred bucks on a background check. It’s cheaper than moving for the wrong person.”
- “If someone acts offended when asked about a background check, they might have something to hide.”
- “PI work is often solitary and best for self-starters — you have to investigate how to become a PI, just like you’d research a case.”
- “Don’t depend on mutual friends as a guarantee of safety or honesty.”
Final Reflections
- Even when faced with clear evidence, clients sometimes choose to ignore red flags and continue problematic relationships.
- PIs, especially women, use empathy, intuition, and even traditional gender stereotypes to blend in and gather intel.
- Ultimately, honesty is rare — and in the dating world, caution is more than justified.