Actor tells how he was scammed by ‘con queen of Hollywood’

msn.com:

Skype audition by the “con queen of Hollywood” – who was posing as a female film producer. Hargobind Tahilramani, 43, is facing extradition to the US accused of being the mastermind of a 1.

0 million US dollar (£800,000) scam against more than 300 victims between 2013 and 2020. He is said to have used fake accents and altered his voice to sound like female film executives to fool industry professionals, including actors, screenwriters and photographers.

Actor and writer Eoin O’Brien, 45, told the PA news agency he was left 15,000 dollars (£12,000) out of pocket after he was contacted by someone posing as Hollywood producer Deborah Snyder – who is known for working with her director husband Zack Snyder on films including 300 and Watchmen.

I was coerced into performing simulated sex acts over Skype by the con queen in the guise of an audition. When I discovered it wasn’t who he claimed and also a male I felt violatedConvinced he was in the running for a “breakthrough role” in a DC Justice League film, Mr O’Brien, who is from Dublin, said he was pressured to “go all out” in a one-way video audition. “I was coerced into performing simulated sex acts over Skype by the con queen in the guise of an audition,” he said. “When I discovered it wasn’t who he claimed and also a male I felt violated. ”Mr O’Brien flew to Jakarta at his own expense having been promised a 5,000 dollar (£4,000) fee before handing over thousands of dollars for “shooting permits”, which he was assured would be reimbursed.