Is Love Con Revenge scripted? Authenticity of the docuseries, explored

Netflix’s Love Con Revenge, which premiered on September 5, 2025, takes a close look at romance scams by putting victims at the center of the story. The series is led by The Tinder Swindler survivor Cecilie Fjellhøy, who joins forces with private investigator Brianne Joseph to track down con artists who use dating apps to manipulate people.

These aren’t just short-lived scams. Victims often walk away with a broken heart and crushed by financial ruin. Each episode begins with one story that exposes a wider network of lies, showing just how common and devastating these schemes can be.

Despite its raw subject matter, some viewers have questioned how authentic the show feels. On Reddit and social media, complaints popped up that Cecilie and Brianne’s conversations sometimes seemed rehearsed, as if they were spelling things out for the cameras instead of talking naturally. The Guardian made a similar point, noting that parts of their dialogue felt like unnecessary explanations.

Netflix states the cases are genuine, built on scams that were reported and investigated long before filming began. The real debate isn’t about whether the crimes happened but whether the way the show is packaged makes it feel a little too polished.

Here's why some viewers doubt the authenticity of Love Con Revenge

The debate around whether Love Con Revenge is scripted stems largely from how the show presents its investigations. On the one hand, the cases are completely real. The scams covered, including those involving Todd Dean, Dorian Wilkerson, Christopher Lloyd, and Ricky Morrissey, were reported in local news outlets and, in some cases, investigated by law enforcement and the FBI before Netflix cameras arrived.

Victims such as Shareza Jackson and Jill Schardein spoke about their ordeals publicly, and investigators Cecilie Fjellhøy and Brianne Joseph verified details through documents, financial trails, and direct confrontations with the perpetrators. Nothing about the crimes themselves was fabricated.

Where skepticism comes in is the way Netflix packages these stories. Many viewers pointed out that conversations between Cecilie and Brianne sometimes felt overly rehearsed, as though they were explaining steps to each other that they already knew for the sake of the audience.

The Guardian’s review criticized “laborious exchanges” where they narrated exactly what they were about to do and why. Fans on Reddit echoed this, calling parts of the dialogue “wooden” and “corny,” which made the real stories feel less organic. These criticisms don’t mean the events were fake, but they do highlight how editing and scripting for clarity can sometimes undermine authenticity.

It’s important to keep in mind that nearly all documentaries use some level of scripting. Producers often guide conversations to ensure viewers understand what is happening, especially when dealing with complex financial crimes. That doesn’t mean the outcomes or testimonies are staged.

In Love Con Revenge, the scammers were contacted ahead of filming and given the chance to share their side of the story, but none agreed. What audiences see is shaped by Netflix’s documentary style, not a fictionalized script.

In fact, the victims’ reactions, whether it’s Nykki and Jnyah confronting Dorian Wilkerson or Jill realizing she had lost her retirement savings to Todd Dean, are unscripted moments that carry the emotional weight of the series. The tension comes from balancing those raw experiences with the demands of storytelling on a streaming platform.

So while viewers may feel some scenes are too polished, the evidence, the scams, and the emotional fallout are very real. The criticism lies in the delivery, not in the authenticity of the stories themselves.

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