Life Imitates Art: Indonesian Con Man Poses As Female Hollywood Power Players
  • 3 years ago
Hollywood loves a good con artist story, but a man who excelled at imitating powerful women may have hit a little too close to home.
Newser reports the FBI has just announced the arrest of a suspect believed to be the 'Con Queen of Hollywood.'
Hargobind Tahilramani would impersonate prominent women in the industry and pitch bogus projects to actors and Hollywood gig workers.
In turn, they would shell out cash on the promise of being reimbursed.
For instance, Gregory Mandarano was duped into traveling to Indonesia multiple times in 2015, believing he was working with a rep from the legit China Film Group.
Instead, he lost about $70,000 paying for drivers, translators, and 'fixers,' which was never reimbursed.
Among others, Tahilramani posed as Kathleen Kennedy of Lucasfilm, former Paramount boss Sherry Lansing, and Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife, Wendi Deng.