Have you seen a “certainty in uncertain times” coach or a web celeb selling the “only strategy that still works in 2025”? That’s not just cringe, it’s a warning sign.

The grift isn’t dying. It’s mutating.

We’re in the era of peak grift, and that doesn’t mean scammers are going away. It means they’re getting smarter, sneakier, and more desperate.

Welcome to The Doubt Economy—where the audience stops buying the hype, and the grifters start to panic.

In this episode, we’re unpacking what happens next.

Topics discussed:

• How audience skepticism created The Doubt Economy.

• Why grifters don’t disappear—they evolve.

• The new tactics: selling certainty, not success.

• When hype turns into fraud and criminality.

• How to protect yourself from aggressive marketing.

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

Ever been captivated by a coach who seemed too good to be true—magnetic, inspiring, and totally authentic—only to find yourself questioning how you ended up spending thousands, still feeling like you're not enough?

You're not the only one.

In this episode, we’re diving into the darker side of online business, exploring how some leaders use cult-like tactics to build trust, manipulate your decisions, and keep you hooked.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How web celebs earn your trust and devotion through “authenticity.”

• How they maintain control once you’re inside the program.

• The BITE Model of Authoritarian Control

• How to protect yourself from being swept up in the cult of personality.

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

Ever felt weird reading someone’s sales email—like you just got trauma-dumped by a stranger?

You’re not imagining it. Vulnerability has become a marketing currency, and now everyone is oversharing in the name of sales.

If you've ever felt weird, guilty, or just plain uncomfortable reading a sales pitch wrapped in trauma, welcome to the cult of oversharing.

In this episode, we’re discussing how vulnerability has become THE marketing strategy—and how that creates ethical landmines for both the audience and the business owner.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The rise of oversharing in online business.

• How “share your story” advice goes off the rails and turns into lead generation through trauma.

• Social Penetration Theory and how marketing skips healthy relationship-building stages.

• How vulnerability is used to build trust, likability, and influence purchase behavior—sometimes unethically.

• Red flags to watch for so you don’t get sucked in by oversharing.

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.