Apple TV+ docuseries embarks on brazen scam

A new documentary series explores the long-running scam perpetrated by a mysterious figure who posed as female entertainment executives and lured industry hopefuls to Indonesia with promises of work and repayment that never came true. are never realized.

The three-part docuseries, Hollywood Con Queenwhich premieres on Apple TV+ on May 8, follows veteran journalist Scott Johnson, who originally broke history in 2018 For The Hollywood Reporter and next wrote a book on the case, and private detective Nicole Kotsianas, who set out to find the culprit of the scam, according to a press release from Apple TV+.

(A trailer is shown below.)

The scam, which allegedly began around 2015, revolved around a person who regularly impersonated high-ranking studio executives like Amy Pascal, former co-president of Sony Pictures, or Donna Langley, president of Universal Pictures, and called or emailed actors, photographers. , filmmakers and makeup artists. Then the scammer offered them work opportunities.

But these opportunities came with expenses and that's where the scammer took advantage of the money. The victims were then encouraged to fly to Jakarta, Indonesia. Once there, they would pay various project fees and a driver believed to be linked to the scammer who would take them on what was supposed to be location scouting. The victims were promised reimbursement for these expenses, but this never materialized. After a few days in the country, without any meetings having taken place, most of the victims eventually realized that there was no real plan and left having lost thousands of dollars.

Some victims also alleged in the docuseries that they were coerced into phone sex or other sexually suggestive situations and that the scammer became easily angry when his instructions were resisted or his calls went unanswered. According to the docuseries, the Con Queen scam involved at least 500 victims who lost approximately $2 million.

The Con Queen's identity remained unknown to the public until late 2020, when Hargobind Tahilramani, a 41-year-old Indonesian with a criminal history, was arrested in England, according to The Hollywood Reporter. At the time, Tahilramani went by the name Gobind Tahil and was building an online presence as a food influencer on Instagram in London.

According to Variety, a British judge ruled in June 2023 that Tahilramani would be extradited to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. It is unclear whether he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

In the docuseries, Tahilramani does not admit to being the culprit of the scam, but considers himself “the nicest criminal anyone has ever known” and insists that he is the real victim.

For Johnson, a crucial part of the investigation and his duties as a journalist was getting to know Tahilramani's story.

I really tried to understand what happened to this person, Johnson told PEOPLE. Why he did what he did [allegedly] what he did, where he came from, what circumstances had shaped him, what difficulties he had gone through, what psychological forces were at play.”

Johnson added: My curiosity about these things was genuine and real. This did not come from a desire to exploit or even contradict. It was real. I really wanted to understand, both on a human level, but also on a journalistic level, it was important for me to try to get a sense of who he was. And I did my best.

The project was created by Emmy-winning filmmaker Chris Smith and produced by Library Films, the team behind the pop culture phenomenon. Tiger Kingon Netflix, the acclaimed docuseries about surfing 100 foot wave on HBO, Hulu Fire and more.

Before the release of Hollywood Con QueenPEOPLE also spoke with Smith, who shared what he hopes viewers take away from the docuseries.

I think with all the stories about scams and scams, the more people see them, the more opportunity they have to educate themselves and hopefully not become a victim, Smith says.

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And so I think that in this way, there is a kind of fundamental value, he adds. But I think that at the level of human interest, [alleged] Con Queen was a fascinating person who had definitely created something totally unique.

Hollywood Con Queen broadcast on Apple TV+ on May 8.