I'm Lola Blanc and I'm Megan Elizabeth and we're the hosts of Trust Me, the podcast about cults, extreme belief and the abuse of power.

Now on Podcast One, we're real life cult survivors and we're here to tell you anyone can join a cult.

If you've ever dived headfirst into a new self-help program or believed or heartedly in a spiritual practice or even just trusted someone with your life,

guess what? You're just as susceptible as everyone else.

No one is safe, especially not Megan. I'm the most susceptible.

We want to debunk the myth that people who join cults are uneducated or naive or broken, because anyone can be manipulated by an narcissist or feel good in a new group they've joined.

And we should know we both have been. Join us every week as we explore the world of extreme belief, talk to survivors and experts,

and share our own experiences with cults and the abuse of power. Don't be fooled. You might be next.

Get new episodes of Trust Me, every Wednesday on Podcast One, Spotify, Apple Podcast and anywhere you get your podcasts.

When I picked the phone up, I saw that it was recording and it had been recording for like hours, like seven hours or something since he had left.

And there was like a recording app on it and I instantly saw it and it wasn't his real phone.

It was like a backup phone he had gotten for this. And I don't know if it was a type of app that he was able to listen the whole time or if it was just recording for him to listen back to and he thought he would come back and get it.

I'm Jamie Beebe. And I'm Jake Debtula. On today's episode of Strictly Stocking, we're speaking with Rhonda.

Well, living in New York City, Rhonda was on the search for a new roommate after her friend moved out of the extra bedroom.

That's when Rhonda met a friendly balancer to club striking up a fun and casual relationship that grew into more rather quickly.

She decided to ask him to move in because things were going well and she needed a roommate.

Things changed when he soon became controlling paranoid and angry. Her new roommate started keeping tabs on her, didn't want her hanging out with friends, accused her of lying and often gotten to violent fights with other men.

As the relationship unraveled, she discovered he stole money from her, lied to her and cheated on her.

Frightened by his behavior, Rhonda told him to leave because she didn't feel safe. But after he left, she discovered a phone her stalker had left behind in order to record her conversations.

His stalking continued to escalate after she broke it off, begging her to take him back and messaging her with fake numbers.

When Rhonda cut off all contact, her stalker started showing up at her job and apartment causing her to fear for her life.

Rhonda, thank you for joining us today.

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