Ep. 168: The Red Flags We Miss: Dating Apps, Catfishing & The App Helping People Avoid Toxic Relationships
What if there was a way to spot relationship red flags before they destroy your life? In this episode of Everything and Anything… and a Bit Gay, host Zach Randles-Friedman sits down with Justin Smith, the creator of the relationship-safety app Cray. After surviving a traumatic marriage that involved manipulation, financial deception, and emotional abuse, Justin turned his experience into a mission: helping people avoid toxic partners. They discuss dating apps, catfishing, online scams, emotional manipulation, and how technology can help people identify warning signs before it's too late. If you’ve ever wondered whether the person you’re dating is truly who they say they are, this conversation will make you think twice.
Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast · Zach Randes-Friedman
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Show Notes
Guest: Justin Smith
App: https://cray.app/
In this episode, Zach and Justin dive into the realities of modern dating and how technology has changed relationships—sometimes for the worse.
Justin shares his deeply personal story about a marriage that turned out to be built on manipulation and deception. After a traumatic breakup and time in treatment to recover from the emotional toll, he decided to build a tool that could help others recognize the red flags he missed.
The result is Cray, an app designed to help people evaluate relationships through structured questions, behavior analysis, and verification tools.
Zach and Justin discuss:
- The dark side of modern dating apps
- Catfishing, scams, and blackmail attempts online
- The emotional toll of toxic relationships
- How red flags often go unnoticed until it’s too late
- The importance of self-love and healthy boundaries
- Why friends struggle to warn people about bad partners
- How Justin’s app helps identify manipulation and deception
- The concept behind the “Cray Score” and “Schemer Score”
- Why Justin hopes the app becomes a tool used by college students and young adults
- Justin’s goal is simple: help people protect themselves before getting deeply involved with the wrong person.
Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ
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