A Secret Celebrity Romance and a Financial Scam
The man behind the flowers and loving messages turned out to be impersonating a famous comedian as part of a financial scam.
Episode 25 — It started simply enough after Cristy commented on one of Matt Rife’s social media posts. Meredith, his public relations person, reached out, asking to interview Cristy about her experience as a fan. From there, Meredith connected her with Matt Rife, himself.
It wasn’t just a few clever texts. It was a complex ruse designed to feel like the perfect relationship. And it worked. Voice messages, flowers, and deep conversations about mindfulness evolved into a sophisticated romance and cryptocurrency investment fraud that cost her everything.
I fell in love with the idea of financial freedom. And I fell in love with a person who wasn’t real. — Cristy
In this episode of the Stolen podcast, Erin West interviews Cristy, a victim of an elaborate online scam where she was manipulated into believing she was in a relationship with comedian Matt Rife. Cristy shares her journey from moving to a new city, seeking connection, and ultimately falling for a scam that led to emotional connection — and significant financial loss.
She reveals how scammers used love bombing, multiple fake personas — including Matt Rife’s financial advisor — and psychological manipulation to isolate her and gain her trust. She shares the warning signs she missed, the devastating financial and emotional impact, and her journey toward recovery and self-forgiveness.
Cristy highlights the importance of community support in the aftermath. And within that, her connection with Operation Shamrock. Hear about Cristy’s path to recovery and how educating others and sharing her story has empowered her as a survivor.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.
Episode Chapters
01:09 — The Journey Begins
04:55 — The Illusion of Connection: Meeting Matt Rife
09:01 — Building a Relationship of Love and Trust
11:39 — Financial Freedom At Least
13:17 — Doubts and Realizations
16:28 — The Aftermath: Reporting the Scam
18:53 — Finding Support through Operation Shamrock
21:50 — Empowerment Through Education: Sharing the Story
25:15 — Normalizing the Conversation to Breaking the Stigma
28:21 — Understanding the Psychological Manipulation
34:09 — Rebuilding Trust and Moving Forward
37:11 — Recovery and Future Plans
Useful Links
Operation Shamrock Victim Resources
Train the Trainer
Sponsors of Stolen
BioCatch prevents financial crime by recognizing patterns in human behavior, continuously collecting 3,000 anonymized data points – keystroke and mouse activity, touch screen behavior, physical device attributes, and more – as people interact with their digital banking platforms. With these inputs, BioCatch's models reveal patterns that distinguish the criminal from the legitimate.
Scamnetic is a leader in AI-powered scam detection and prevention, protecting individuals, businesses, and financial institutions from digital scams. With solutions like KnowScam and IDeveryone, Scamnetic delivers real-time scam insights, identity verification, and intervention. Restoring trust, reducing losses, and empowering organizations to safeguard customers in an increasingly complex digital world.
Recent Episodes of the Stolen Podcast
