Earlier than AI meant you could impersonate someone’s voice with just a snippet of audio, con artists wanted precise ability to impersonate well-known figures. Take Hargobind Tahilramani, who allegedly impersonated such highly effective Hollywood ladies as Amy Pascal, Kathleen Kennedy, and Wendi Deng Murdoch. Now, it’s a documentary from Tiger King’s Chris Smith.
The rip-off artist dubbed “the Con Queen of Hollywood” despatched victims to Indonesia, then extracted money for what appeared like regular bills, promising reimbursements. The reimbursements by no means appeared. Scott Johnson at The Hollywood Reporter first broke the story in 2018, then followed it, ultimately writing a book. The Apple TV Plus documentary relies on that work. It premieres on Might eighth.
In 2020, T…