Apple TV+ Docuseries uses blatant scams

A new docuseries examines 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 paybacks that never materialized.

The three-part docuseries, Hollywood scammerPremiering May 8 on Apple TV+, it follows veteran journalist Scott Johnson, who originally broke the story in 2018 for The Hollywood Reporter and subsequently wrote a book about the matter, and private investigator Nicole Kotsianas, who set out to find the perpetrator of the scam, according to an Apple TV+ press release.

(A trailer is shown below.)

The scam, which reportedly began around 2015, revolved around an individual who regularly posed as high-ranking studio executives, such as Amy Pascal, former co-chairman of Sony Pictures, or Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Pictures, and called or e-mailed actors and photographers. -emailed. , filmmakers and make-up artists. The scammer then offered them job opportunities.

But these opportunities came at a cost – and the scammer made money from it. The victims were then encouraged to fly themselves to Jakarta, Indonesia. Once there, they paid various project fees and a driver believed to be connected to the scammer who would show them around on what was reportedly location scouting. The victims were promised compensation for these costs, but this never materialized. After a few days in the country, with no meetings taking place, most victims eventually realized there was no real project and left, parting with thousands of dollars.

Some victims also claimed in the docuseries that they were coerced into phone sex or other sexually suggestive situations and that the scammer quickly became angry if his instructions were rejected or if calls went unanswered. According to the docuseries, the “Con Queen” scam claimed at least 500 victims, who lost an estimated $2 million.

The identity of the ‘Con Queen’ remained unknown to the public until late 2020, when Hargobind Tahilramani, a 41-year-old Indonesian man with a criminal past, was arrested in England, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Tahilramani was Gobind Tahil at the time and was building an online presence as an Instagram food influencer in London.

According to Varietya British judge ruled in June 2023 that Tahilramani would be extradited to the US on 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 perpetrator of the scam, but calls himself “the nicest criminal you will ever know” and insists he is the real victim.

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

“I really tried my best to understand what happened to this person,” Johnson tells PEOPLE. “Why he did what he (allegedly) did, where he came from, what circumstances shaped him, what hardships he endured, what psychological forces were at play.”

Johnson added, “My curiosity about those things was genuine and real. It didn’t come from a desire to even exploit or contradict. It was real. I really wanted to understand it, 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 critically acclaimed surf docuseries 100 foot wave on HBO, Hulu’s Firework and more.

Prior to the release of Hollywood scammerPEOPLE also spoke with Smith, who shared what he hopes viewers will take away from the docuseries.

“I think with all scams and scam stories, the more people see them, the more opportunity there is for people to get educated and hopefully not become a victim,” says Smith.

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“And so I think there’s a fundamental form of value in that way,” he adds. “But I think on a human level, the (alleged) ‘Con Queen’ was a fascinating individual who had definitely created something that was completely unique.”

Hollywood scammer streams on Apple TV+ on May 8.