Gaslit, Betrayed, and Deceived: How a Con Artist Manipulates Emotions and Skills to Protect Your Well-Being

Gaslit, Betrayed, and Deceived: How a Con Artist Manipulates Emotions and Skills to Protect Your Well-Being

Lisa Marie Bobby, PhD, LMFT, BCC

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, board-certified coach, AAMFT clinical supervisor, host of the Love, Happiness, and Success Podcast and founder of Growing Self.

Have you ever looked back on a relationship and thought, How did I not see this?
Not a simple mismatch or a painful ending, but the realization that the person you trusted was never who they claimed to be, and that your sense of safety was slowly dismantled by a con artist.

In this episode of Love, Happiness and Success, and through the work we do every day at Growing Self, we take a clear, unflinching look at how a con artist operates, why even smart and emotionally aware people are vulnerable, and what it takes to protect your emotional well-being after deception.

This is not a story about gullibility or poor judgment. It is a story about emotional manipulation, betrayal trauma, and what happens when trust is used as a weapon.

My guest, Johnathan Walton, knows this terrain personally. After surviving a devastating con himself, he transformed his experience into a mission: exposing the patterns of a con artist, helping others recognize warning signs earlier, and supporting victims as they recover.

This conversation is heavy at times. Still, it is also deeply validating and ultimately empowering.

Why a Con Artist Doesn’t Outsmart You, They Outfeel You

One of the most important truths Johnathan shares is this: a con artist does not succeed because they are smarter than you. They succeed because they know how to bypass logic and hook emotion.

A con artist studies people closely. They notice pain points, values, longings, and moments of vulnerability. Often, they mirror emotional experiences, move quickly into intimacy, and present themselves as helpers right when someone feels overwhelmed, lonely, or unsure.

Because of this, many victims of a con artist are thoughtful, generous, compassionate people. Empathy and openness are not flaws. However, in the hands of someone skilled in manipulation, they can be exploited—a dynamic well documented in psychological research on deception and emotional coercion (Jones, H. S., Towse, J. N., Race, N., & Harrison, T.).

The Psychological Aftermath of a Con Artist’s Betrayal

Being deceived by a con artist does not only create financial loss. It creates psychological injury.

People often describe a collapse in self-trust. Reality starts to feel unreliable. Shame creeps in, paired with anger that feels unfamiliar or frightening. Intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, and sudden waves of grief or rage are common.

These reactions are not signs of weakness. They are hallmarks of betrayal trauma, a deep nervous-system response that occurs when someone you relied on emotionally turns out to be unsafe. If this resonates, you may find support and clarity in learning more about Betrayal Trauma Recovery and how healing unfolds over time.

Research also shows that victims of interpersonal deception often experience symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress, especially when the betrayal involved emotional intimacy or prolonged manipulation (Whitty, M. T.).

Red Flags a Con Artist Relies On (Especially in Combination)

A single concerning behavior may be explainable. What matters with a con artist is accumulation.

Common red flags discussed in this episode include:

• Rapid emotional closeness or intensity
• Oversharing personal stories early, while encouraging you to do the same
• Presenting themselves as unusually generous, heroic, or indispensable
• Creating repeated crises that require your involvement
• Using texts, emails, or screenshots as “proof” rather than verifiable reality
• Subtly isolating you from friends or outside perspectives

These patterns overlap closely with known tactics of emotional manipulation, including those explored in “Dark Psychology & Manipulation: Sneaky Tactics Even Smart People Fall For”.
If you’ve ever wondered whether what you experienced crossed a line, resources like Red Flags in Relationships and How to Respond to Gaslighting can help you name what happened more clearly.