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Agence France-Presse

A suspected con artist who allegedly impersonated top female Hollywood executives to swindle wide-eyed aspiring stars out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has been arrested in Britain after a US extradition request, the FBI said.
Dubbed the “Con Queen of Hollywood”, the suspect led investigators on a years-long, global manhunt so improbable it has even been optioned for a book deal.
He was identified in an unsealed court indictment Thursday as Hargobind Tahilramani, a 41-year-old Indonesian man.
“The defendant has been arrested in the United Kingdom based on a request for his provisional arrest submitted by the United States with a view towards his extradition,” an FBI spokesman in San Diego, California said.
Serial entrepreneur’ bought Rolex, Mercedes with US relief loans
Among the Hollywood moguls Tahilramani allegedly impersonated were Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy, former Sony movie chief Amy Pascal, and ex-Paramount boss Sherry Lansing.
Wendi Deng, the former wife of Rupert Murdoch, was also allegedly aped by the master of accents, along with various male movie executives.
Victims were approached with offers of lucrative showbiz jobs and instructed to travel to Indonesia for tasks including location scouting, research and drafting screenplays, according to court documents filed in California.

Tahilramani would “use fake accents and alter his voice to sound like a woman,” the documents state.
On arrival, the victims were allegedly bilked for US currency at every turn by Tahilramani and his co-conspirators, with the promised movie projects transpiring to be entirely fictional, and their expenses never reimbursed.
If targets complained or expressed doubt, Tahilramani would sometimes threaten to “dismember” the victim, the documents state.
The scam began as early as 2013, and continued despite global Covid travel bans to this August, when victims were instead asked to shell out for non-existent training videos.
Indonesian student, Britain’s worst rapist, jailed for life for assaulting 48 men
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Tahilramani was arrested by Manchester police last week with the assistance of private investigators from K2 Integrity.
In a statement, co-founder Jules Kroll said K2 had helped US, British and Indonesian authorities in “bringing the individual known as the ‘Con Queen of Hollywood’ to justice”.
Tahilramani – also known as Gobind Lal Tahil – had already been “unmasked” last month as the likely suspect in the bizarre fraud by investigative podcast “Chameleon: Hollywood Con Queen”.
That came after K2 last year issued a statement declaring the “Con Queen” was a man.
He faces charges of wire fraud, identity theft and conspiracy.
HarperCollins has secured the book rights for the story to be written by former Hollywood Reporter journalist Scott Johnson.


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Scams and swindles

Hollywood ‘Con Queen’, Indonesian man Hargobind Tahilraman, arrested in Britain

Dubbed the ‘Con Queen of Hollywood’, the suspect led investigators on a years-long, global manhunt. Photo: Shutterstock

(FILES) A file photo taken on January 16, 2011 shows media tycoon Rupert Murdoch (L) and his wife Wendi Deng (R) arriving on the red carpet for the 68th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California. Flamboyant Australian billionaire Clive Palmer on September 5, 2013 said he plans to sue Rupert Murdoch over unflattering allegations and claimed the media mogul's estranged wife is a Chinese spy. Palmer, best known for building a replica of the Titanic and who is running for election in Australia on Saturday, seethed over a comment piece questioning his wealth and whether he was indeed a university professor and a mining magnate, as he claims. AFP PHOTO/FILES/Robyn Beck

Fraud charges for ‘serial entrepreneur’ Justin Cheng, who bought Rolex and Mercedes with US coronavirus relief loans

The US Paycheque Protection Programme, or PPP, was established as part of a massive federal relief plan earlier this year in response to coronavirus shutdown. Photo: Shutterstock

Indonesian student Reynhard Sinaga, Britain’s worst rapist, jailed for life for sexually assaulting 48 men

Reynhard Sinaga is described as the “most prolific rapist in British legal history”. Photo: Greater Manchester Police via AP

A combination of still images used in evidence in convicting Reynhard Sinaga, (L to R) CCTV image, alcohol bottles in Sinaga's flat, sleeping area in Sinaga's flat, are seen in this undated handout photo released on January 6, 2020. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.

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Suspected con artist Hargobind Tahilraman used fake accents and altered his voice to sound like a woman
Victims were approached with offers of lucrative showbiz jobs and instructed to travel to Indonesia for tasks



Hargobind Tahilramani allegedly impersonated top female Hollywood executives to swindle wide-eyed aspiring stars out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.


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