Meet Maddy the relationship sleuth (Picture: Madeline Smith / SWNS)
Madeline Smith, 30, has a business unlike any other – she is booked to investigate potentially cheating parnters, and is usually hired by their girlfriend or wife.
Madeline, from Los Angeles, contacts men who are under suspicion from their partners to see if they get drawn in by her message and profile picture.
She will then progress the conversation as far as the client wants to try and catch a cheater.
Madeline said: ‘I feel so much of it is intuitive. I can look at a profile and immediately know [a guy’s] personality.’
Madeline says she was obsessed with a show called Cheaters in high school, which revealed love rats live on TV.
She and her friends would then try to do the same thing with people they knew – without much success. But in 2018 Madeline decided to go full-time.
Madeline says it’s best when guys just block her as it proves their innocence (Picture: Courtesy Madeline Smith SWNS)
Suspecting women will reach Madeline through her online contact form. They share information about their relationship and any past offences, along with how aggressive her technique should be.
It is then up to Madeline, who is in a relationship with a music producer, to investigate the man.
She claimed that, in some cases, if men seem dangerous – and she will advise the woman to seek legal help instead. But for cases she accepts, Madeline will set the bait through the form of a message.
She said: ‘It can take five minutes to get through to them – or two days.
Madeline is in a happy relationship (Picture: Courtesy Madeline Smith / SWNS)
‘I see if they take the bait and then I will tell the girl and see what they want. For some, just replying to me is enough to prove their infidelity.
‘Most women always feel sad or mad coming to me and I reassure them it’s perfectly acceptable for them to need answers about where they’re investing their love and life.’
Madeline says she will contact the suspect and adjust her technique depending on his interests, personality and what his weaknesses were in the past.
She said 80% of messages she receives are regarding repeat offenders. And she often busts men who have wives and children.
Madeline claims she has a legal team and makes sure she follows laws in different states.
She says she has 1,000 closed cases and has repeat customers who will vet all their romantic partners with her.
She charges a $30 base rate (£25) for a standard loyalty test but her prices increase if the case is more complex or she needs to put in a lot of time and work. She says she can also offer some financial flexibility for clients who need it.
And Madeline said it’s not always bad news – as sometimes men pass the loyalty test with flying colours.
She said: ‘My favourite thing is to get blocked. The guys who pass will say I have a wife, girlfriend or fiancée and she wouldn’t like this.
‘The best thing is when they say thank you for reaching out and block me.’
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‘I can look at a profile and immediately know.’