If you’re familiar with Dirty John, you might think it seems far fetched and there’s no way it could happen to you. The popular podcast and newspaper series is based on a true story, and recently it was turned into a Bravo TV series. The “John” of the story met a woman named Debra Newell through a dating site, and seemed like a perfect gentleman, but he was hiding a sinister past.

The show, adapted from the popular true crime podcast of the same name, is a fictionalized version of the very real story of Debra Newell, a wealthy divorcee who fell for a seemingly perfect man with a troubling past.

The eponymous “Dirty John” is John Meehan (Eric Bana), who met and wooed Newell (Connie Britton) through an online dating site. Their whirlwind romance led to a quick marriage, but Newell’s children were convinced their mother’s new love wasn’t the man he seemed to be. Criminal records, lies, and other disturbing red flags were soon uncovered, leading to a terrifying and violent ordeal for Newell and her family.

Dirty John, a six-part podcast from the Los Angeles Times and journalist Christopher Goffard, tells the riveting story of how one woman and her family were affected by a diabolical man she met from an online dating site.

The podcast moves like a mystery thriller. One aspect of the story opens the door to another; you know something terrible is going to happen, but you’ll never predict what and when.