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.

Online business may keep rebranding itself, but the tropes?

They never die—they just get slicker.

In this episode, we’re walking down memory lane and revisiting The Very Tired Tropes of Online Business to see how the same old tactics have evolved in 2025.

Spoiler: they’re back, sneakier than ever.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Definition of tropes in online business

• Sales tropes that are still thriving in 2025

• • New sales tropes

• Relatability tropes

• Shift from flashy luxury to curated “realness”

• Money tropes that are still everywhere

• Pivot tropes

• • The disappearing act: online figures vanish and rebrand without context

• Ways you can protect yourself

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.