The Bert Show: "Vault: MySpace Stalker"

Date: December 2, 2025
Podcast Host: Pionaire Podcasting
Episode Summary:
A listener named Anika calls in to share a gripping and unsettling story about her sister's disturbing experience with a potential MySpace stalker—or possibly, a boyfriend with a twisted plan. The Bert Show cast and callers dissect the events, unravelling the threads between online identity, social engineering, and personal safety in the era of MySpace.

Main Theme & Purpose

The episode dives into a listener drama revolving around a MySpace stalking incident that quickly crosses the line from uncomfortable to genuinely scary. The conversation explores internet privacy, the dangers of online interactions, and psychological manipulation within relationships, with the cast and listeners speculating about the true nature of the "stalker."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Anika's Story: From Online Flirtation to Stalker Nightmare

• Initial Events ([01:26])

  • Anika recounts her sister's troubled relationship with her boyfriend, characterized by frequent breakups and reconciliations ("They're like Bobby and Whitney, always breaking up and getting back together.").
  • During a breakup, her sister accepts a MySpace friend request from a man who becomes increasingly persistent.
  • Mild flirtation occurs before her sister reconciles with her boyfriend and tries to end contact with the new friend.

• Escalation ([01:47])

  • The rejected man begins harassing the sister online, targeting her, her boyfriend, and their friends.
  • The stalker claims superiority over the boyfriend—"I'm better than him, I look better than him, I have more money..." ([01:36])
  • Harassment escalates to threats, including messages to the boyfriend containing his home address and the names of family members.

  Host: "Now it gets creepy. Now it goes from, like, weird to, like, now you've got names and phone numbers..." ([02:40])

  • The stalker demands sex under threat of harm to the boyfriend’s family ([02:47]).

• Background Check & Discovery ([03:37])

  • Anika reveals the boyfriend had a hacker friend who dug up the stalker’s alleged background—a dishonorably discharged ex-Marine with a sexual assault record.
  • Strangely, the stalker's MySpace page claims he's an Army recruiter.

2. Unraveling the Stalker's Identity

• Tracing the Stalker ([04:02])

  • The boyfriend (via a hacker friend) tracks the stalker’s travel, finding inconsistencies (claims of being in multiple relevant cities).
  • There’s suspicion about the stalker’s uncanny knowledge of where Anika’s sister lives and studies.

• Phone Exchanges & Real World Confrontation ([05:20])

  • Communication escalates to phone calls; eventually, the boyfriend arranges to meet the stalker in person.
  • In a surprising twist, the "stalker" is allegedly so impressed with the boyfriend's bravery that he agrees to leave the sister alone.

  Anika: “He really loves. He risked his life.”
  Host: “So he confronts this guy, and the dude is so impressed with, like, the honor that he just decides that he's going to split.” ([06:05])

3. The Stalker Returns & MySpace Mysteries

• After a period of calm, the sister finds the stalker still active on MySpace—this time using the boyfriend's email ([06:37]).

• Host and cast express confusion over MySpace’s platform quirks and how someone could control or hijack accounts.

• Key Observation:

  • Jeff: “The boyfriend created the stalker.”
  • The cast grows increasingly suspicious that the boyfriend manufactured the stalker to manipulate the sister.

4. Evidence & Red Flags

• Access to Information ([09:11])

  • Stalker appears to use personal knowledge only a boyfriend would have (naming people in her building, using her name as a password).
  • Anika speculates this is a cruel hoax, recapping prior manipulations by the boyfriend (faking an STD scare).

  Host: “Either way, you got problem on your hand. You have a legitimate stalker or you got a psycho boyfriend.” ([08:57])

• Password and Page Hijacking ([11:02])

  • Discussion about how easily someone can steal passwords or hijack MySpace pages; skepticism about the boyfriend’s claimed findings.

• Source of "Stalker" Info ([12:12])

  • All background checks and digital digging on the stalker are done by the boyfriend’s hacker friend, providing the boyfriend total control over the narrative.

  Host: “So basically, the boyfriend was the source.” ([12:18])

5. Advice, Next Steps & Audience Reactions

• Suggestions include saving all correspondence, contacting MySpace, changing passwords, and even pretending to involve the FBI to scare off the stalker ([13:15]).

  Jeff: “…Say you have a friend who's an FBI agent who turned this over. So the FBI is going to investigate it, and I gave them your information, so they're going to call you and ask you questions about this guy. I guarantee you'll never hear from the stalker again.” ([13:15])

• The show urges Anika to keep them updated on the situation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Anika: “He starts visiting all her friends, her boyfriend's page, posting comments, sending messages—'I'm better than him…How could you choose him…?'” ([01:36])
• Host: “Now it gets creepy…now it's getting creepy.” ([02:40])
• Anika: “He found her boyfriend’s home address, as well as names of family members…” ([03:04])
• Anika (on the odd details): “He claims to live in Decatur, Georgia…in New York…He seems to be based where my sister is based…” ([04:16])
• Host: “The boyfriend created the stalker.” ([07:18])
• Jen: “So he creates the stalker to make his girlfriend nervous and make him, like, out to be a hero.” ([07:57])
• Host: “Either way, you got a problem on your hand. You have a legitimate stalker or you got a psycho boyfriend.” ([08:57])
• Host: “The computer hacker is the boyfriend’s friend.” ([12:12])

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:13 | Anika calls in; begins sharing her sister's MySpace ordeal | | 02:40 | Host flags the escalation to "creepy"—personal info threats | | 03:37 | Revelation about the “stalker’s” background | | 05:20 | Transition from online threat to in-person confrontation | | 06:37 | Sister discovers stalker using boyfriend's MySpace email | | 07:18-09:02| Hosts and cast suspect the boyfriend IS the stalker | | 11:02 | Discussion of MySpace account hijacking and password security | | 12:12 | Realization all info comes via the boyfriend's hacker friend | | 13:15 | Jeff proposes scaring off the stalker with mention of the FBI |

Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Conversational, humorous, and at times incredulous. The hosts and callers mix concern with comic disbelief, shifting from sympathy to skepticism as layers peel away.
• Key Takeaway: The episode highlights the dangers of trust in both online interactions and personal relationships, questioning whether the stalker was ever real—or a fabrication by a manipulative boyfriend. The cast’s advice leans on practical, if tongue-in-cheek, interventions (save evidence, escalate to authorities, test technological loopholes).

In essence:
This Bert Show episode is a rollercoaster of digital-age mystery—a blend of true crime energy and radio comedy, as the team dissects a story where real-world consequences meet online deception. By the end, the main message is crystal clear: sometimes the biggest threat isn’t a stranger on the internet, but the person you think you know best.