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Gaslighting is a technique used to manipulate and deceive people in order to cheat them out of their money. Linda Young, a victim of a romance scam, experienced this firsthand. After divorcing her husband and finding herself alone in her coastal town, Linda decided to try online dating. She met a man on a dating website for over-50s and fell in love with him through daily communication. They even discussed their future together, which is when he asked Linda for money to invest on their behalf. Linda had a gut feeling that something wasn't right about sending money to this man, but he emotionally manipulated her by reassuring her that they were investing in their future. Lisa Mills, a romance fraud expert at Victim Support, explains that gaslighting is a common technique used in these scams. It makes the victims question their own sanity and takes a toll on their mental and physical health. Ginny Skinner, co-writer of the BBC drama series "The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies," delves into the topic of gaslighting. While conducting research by speaking to real-life victims, Ginny and her sister Penelope discovered that gaslighting is a profoundly frightening experience for those involved in romance scams. Lisa also points out that victims are guilt-tripped by scammers when they question sending money, using lines like "if you truly loved me, you would not question why I need this amount of money so quickly." Romance scams are particularly insidious because they exploit people's basic desire for love and connection. Even those who are aware of the dangers of romance fraud can become vulnerable when they are in a "love bubble" and their sense of reality becomes distorted. Linda, who lost more than $150,000 to the scammer, expresses the shame and long recovery process she went through. Ginny and Penelope's drama series explores the stories of victims, such as fashion assistant Alice Newman and best-selling author Cheryl Harker, who are targeted by a romance con artist named Dr. Rob Chance. The writers of the series were also fascinated by high-profile scammers like Bernie Madoff, Elizabeth Holmes, and Billy McFarland. Penelope even had her own encounter with a scammer when she received a fraudulent email that led her to enter her personal information. The central question in the drama series is why romance scammers continue to get away with their crimes. Lisa emphasizes the need to stop victim-blaming and reframe the language used to describe victims. It is important to recognize that victims were exploited and not simply falling for a scam. Ultimately, everyone is susceptible to being conned to some degree, and it is important to raise awareness and provide support to those who have fallen victim to scams.