Podcast Summary: The Dating Detectives – "Mackenzie Undercover: PI's Gone Wild"

Date: February 2, 2026
Hosts: Mackenzie Fultz (Private Investigator) & Hanna(h) Anderson (Comedian)
Podcast: The Dating Detectives (Dear Media)

Overview

This episode is another “Mackenzie Undercover,” a popular spinoff of the show, featuring real-life PI stories with equal measures of jaw-dropping scandal and behind-the-scenes procedural insights. Before diving into the undercover PI tale, hosts Mackenzie and Hannah address listener feedback on their previous controversial “Dogfish” episode and dedicate time to a candid discussion on trauma, victim-blaming, empathy, and audience responsibility.

The main feature is Mackenzie’s in-depth—and hilarious—account of a private investigator being paid for surveillance work he never performed, how she helped catch the fraudster, and what the experience reveals about the PI profession.

Episode Breakdown

1. Dogfish Debrief & Listener Feedback

Timestamps: 00:38 – 23:27

• Theme: Accountability, audience trust, empathy for victims, and constructive criticism in the Dating Detectives community.

Key Discussion Points:

• Apology and Reflection:
  • The hosts address controversy from the previous episode involving a guest named Lena, who, after being scammed, retaliated against the scammer through questionable means (involving Grindr users as collateral damage).
  • Hannah and Mackenzie both apologize for being insensitive to innocent bystanders, emphasizing the need to reflect, “Sorry. Our reactions to parts of that episode were careless and insensitive...our empathy in the room didn't extend beyond Lena, our guest” (Hannah, 01:44).
• Trauma and Ethics:
  • Hannah details the science of trauma, how it disrupts ethical decision-making, and how survivor behavior is frequently judged unfairly by “the perfect victim” myth.
  • “It's a survival thing...when you are trying to survive, you're not prioritizing your morality” (Hannah, 05:25).
• Victim-Perpetrator Nuance:
  • Mackenzie and Hannah stress their commitment to letting guests share their full, imperfect truths and keeping the community non-judgmental.
  • “We're not going to tell a guest, come share your story, but leave out the part where you did the mess up” (Mackenzie, 08:44).
• Justice & System Failure:
  • Repeated failures of the legal system push people toward vigilante justice—something the hosts, through their work, understand all too well.
  • “Something changes when you start to lose faith in the legal system” (Hannah, 10:10).
• Community Accountability:
  • Dissent is welcome, but outright hate is denounced. The hosts distinguish between disagreeing civilly and outright bullying.
  • “If you disagree, there's a respectful, tactful, responsible way...But the hateful. The hatefulness, anger, that's not gonna work out” (Mackenzie, 18:56).
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Until y'all are perfect, stop throwing stones, period. That's all I got to say about that.” (Mackenzie, 14:58)
  • “The scammers are still the most responsible.” (Hannah, 15:12)
• Update on “Dogfish”:
  • Lena and Lily (the other central figure) are on better terms and are currently pursuing the scammers legally, though details remain private.

2. Mackenzie Undercover: PI’s Gone Wild

Timestamps: 28:20 – 77:37

The Case:

Mackenzie recounts an investigation where she was hired to do surveillance…on another private investigator suspected of lying about his work.

Case Timeline & Key Moments:

• Setting the Scene:
  • A PI company suspects one of their investigators is faking case work—clocking hours, producing no video, and giving suspect explanations (28:20).
  • Mackenzie is hired to work a previous case of his—immediately, she gets plenty of video of the subject, suggesting the target wasn’t that hard to surveil (31:24).
• The "Double Surveillance:"
  • Next, the company sends the suspect back out—unbeknownst to him, Mackenzie surveils him.
  • She witnesses him sitting in his car and not following the subject as she leaves home (33:55). “He didn't leave behind her...I’m biting my nails like, oh my God, go follow her...”
• Getting Up-Close:
  • Mackenzie approaches the PI’s car on foot, under the ruse of a resident looking for a lost dog. He’s unbothered, slightly paranoid, and, crucially, appears extremely high (“this big puff of smoke comes out, and I’m like, immediately high” – Mackenzie, 40:05).
  • His car is “decked out:” screens everywhere; snacks litter the passenger seat.
  • Most absurd: He’s openly watching lesbian porn and a sports game on his car’s big screen at full brightness. “He’s got two chords…one’s going to his phone for the porn…and on the bottom, he’s watching a sports ball game” (Mackenzie, 48:19).
• The Blatant Fraud:
  • Over three surveillance days, Mackenzie documents his behavior—he never follows or documents the subject, repeatedly submitting fake claims to his employer.
  • Mackenzie records their conversation (53:16), gathers proof, and the company eventually confronts him after he asks for payment for the fraudulent days.
    • “He says, well, maybe that investigator is lying…and that’s not the day they were there, so you have to pay me or I’m going to take you to court.” (Mackenzie, 59:00)
  • The company gathers neighbor’s Ring camera footage for further evidence, conclusively proving his fraud.
  • His license is revoked by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
  • Retrospective audit showed he’d likely faked over 27 cases in two years, potentially bilking the company upwards of $30,000 (62:50–71:28).
• Memorable/Hilarious Moments:
  • When asked by Mackenzie if he saw her imaginary dog, the PI simply says “nah,” too high to even be polite (51:03).
  • When cornered, resorts to a cheesy pickup line: “Oh, I was waiting for you to walk into my life.” (52:06)
  • Mackenzie’s reflection: “Have the confidence of this man. We really, really do.” (67:39)
  • “He should be fired. He should also be grounded.” (Hannah, 58:25)

Industry Insights:

• PI Life Is Not ‘Chill’:
  • “A lot of people say, oh, I want to be a PI…you think it’s just eating snacks and getting high and watching porn and football…Being a surveillance investigator is hard. It is very, like, anticipatory. You're constantly anxious…it's exhausting.” (Mackenzie, 61:33)
• Advice for Listeners:
  • “If you are working hard and trying your best and you're not high watching porn in sports at your workplace, ask for the raise, ask for the promotion. Speak up in the meeting. We are more capable than things than we think because the audacity of this man.” (Hannah, 71:43)

3. Listener Call-to-Action & Community Engagement

Timestamps: 74:40 – 77:37

• The hosts invite stories from listeners: have you ever caught someone dogfishing at work? Suspected a coworker/partner/friend of faking their occupation or duties?
• Q&A opportunity: Send PI-related questions or hypothetical scenarios for future episodes (“PI Deep Dive”).
• “If you ever, like, man, I had the story where I thought this and I hired a PI…but it turns out this or whatever. We'd love to hear that too.” (Mackenzie, 75:10)
• Information for contacting: “Investigate at the Dating Detectives podcast.com”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Hannah (on community handling controversy):
  “We want this to be a safe space for you to share mistakes you’ve made… and you can share when we can learn from things, too… sorry. Our reactions… were careless and insensitive…” (01:44)

• Mackenzie (on sharing full stories):
  “We're not going to tell a guest, come share your story, but leave out the part where you did the mess up...That's not going to happen.” (08:44)

• On psychological effects of trauma:
  “It's a survival thing...when you are trying to survive, you're not prioritizing your morality, you are prioritizing survival over your morality. And that is something that our brains have adapted to do…” – Hannah (05:25)

• On the non-glamour of PI work:
  “Being a surveillance investigator is hard…You're constantly anxious, wondering what they're going to do next…It's exhausting.” – Mackenzie (61:33)

• On workplace confidence:
  “Have the confidence of this man…He got caught watching porn in his car and thought, yeah, she'd hit this. Let me try. Let me just give it a try.” – Hannah (67:39)

• On respectful disagreement:
  “If you disagree, there's a respectful, tactful, responsible way to disagree...But the hateful… that's not gonna work out.” – Mackenzie (18:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dogfish debrief, community, apology: 00:38 – 23:27
• Mackenzie Undercover begins (dogfish among PIs): 28:20
• “I approached his car—big puff of smoke—he’s high”: 40:05
• Discovery of open porn/sports on car screens: 48:19
• Confronting the fraudster, fallout, industry reflection: 59:00 – 62:50
• PI profession insights, life lessons: 71:28 – 73:39
• Listener call-out, Q&A invitation: 74:40 – end

Tone & Style

As always, the interaction between Mackenzie and Hannah is irreverent, empathetic, and collaborative. There is a blend of comedy and serious reflection throughout: from the ethical discussion around trauma to the wild PI tale’s running gags about audacity and incompetence.

In Summary

This episode doubles as a masterclass in ethical gray zones (both in PI work and community-building) and a comedic, eye-opening look at the "real" work of private investigation. The hosts invite participation, foster a culture of supportive disagreement, and never let the absurd go unmocked. If you want to laugh and learn which red flags to watch for in both romantic partners and hired PIs, this episode delivers.