An Indonesian man suspected of being the "Con Queen of Hollywood", a figure who allegedly impersonated executives to defraud aspiring stars, has been arrested in the UK, the FBI has said.
Hargobind Tahilramani, 41, is alleged to have swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars out of hopeful actors.
The identity of the "Con Queen" has been a mystery for several years.
"The defendant has been arrested in the United Kingdom," an FBI spokesman in California told the AFP press agency.
He added that the arrest was "based on a request for his provisional arrest submitted by the United States with a view towards his extradition".
The Hollywood Reporter said Mr Tahilramani was arrested by police in Manchester last week with the assistance of private investigators from a company called K2 Integrity.
He was identified in unsealed official court documents.
Mr Tahilramani allegedly impersonated Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy, former Sony movie chief Amy Pascal and ex-Paramount boss Sherry Lansing.
He also allegedly pretended to be Wendi Murdoch, the entrepreneur, film producer and ex-wife of Rupert Murdoch, along with several male movie executives.
AFP said the court documents, filed in California, showed film industry workers were "approached with offers of lucrative showbiz jobs and instructed to travel to Indonesia for tasks including location scouting, research and drafting screenplays".
Mr Tahilramani would "use fake accents and alter his voice to sound like a woman", according to the documents.
Latest Stories
-
GPL: Expect a new Kotoko against Samartex – Ogum tells fans
31 mins -
Court orders service of notice for DNA test to Mohbad’s wife
33 mins -
Changes to Ghana’s oil and gas royalty and licensing scheme to be implemented in 2024
36 mins -
Ghana’s oil production to rebound in 2024 growing by 5% – Fitch Solutions
52 mins -
Davido gifts fan $50K to clear off her student loan
56 mins -
Netflix: Profits soar after password sharing crackdown
58 mins -
OSP files additional charges against former PPA CEO Adjenim Boateng Adjei
1 hour -
Samuel Anini’s ‘Legacy of Hope’ to be launched in Finland
1 hour -
Fitch Solutions projects 19.0% average inflation for Ghana in 2024
1 hour -
Beijing half marathon: Top 3 stripped of medals after investigation
1 hour -
Nigerian Tunde Onakoya attempts to break chess marathon record
1 hour -
Government set to strip ECG of its billing, collection powers – Egyapa Mercer
1 hour -
We have to focus on Premier League now – Jurgen Klopp
2 hours -
Oil price rises as US says Israel has struck Iran
2 hours -
MPs open up about growing financial pressures and health challenges
2 hours