LONDON • An Indonesian con artist who allegedly impersonated top female Hollywood executives to swindle aspiring stars out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has been remanded in custody after appearing at a central London court.

Dubbed the "Con Queen of Hollywood", Hargobind Tahilramani, 41, led investigators on a years-long global manhunt so improbable that it has even been optioned for a book deal.

Tahilramani, who is wanted in the United States for offences that include wire fraud and identity theft, made a two-minute appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Among those he allegedly impersonated were Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy, former Sony movie chief Amy Pascal and former Paramount boss Sherry Lansing.

Ms Wendi Murdoch, former wife of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, was also allegedly aped by the master of accents.

Victims were approached with offers of lucrative showbiz jobs and told to travel to Indonesia for tasks such as location scouting, research and drafting screenplays, according to court documents filed in California.

Tahilramani would "use fake accents and alter his voice to sound like a woman".

On arrival, the victims were allegedly bilked for US currency by Tahilramani and his co-conspirators, with the promised movie projects transpiring to be entirely fictional and their expenses never reimbursed.

If targets complained or expressed doubt, Tahilramani would sometimes threaten to "dismember" them.

The scam began as early as 2013 and continued - despite Covid-19 travel bans - until August, when the victims were instead asked to shell out for non-existent training videos.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tahilramani was arrested last month by police in Manchester, England, with the assistance of private investigators from K2 Integrity.

K2 co-founder Jules Kroll told Agence France-Presse that the investigators had helped the American, British and Indonesian authorities bring Tahilramani to justice.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman in San Diego, California, told AFP that Tahilramani had been arrested in Britain based on "a request for his provisional arrest submitted by the United States with a view towards his extradition".

HarperCollins has secured the book rights to the story, which will be written by former Hollywood Reporter journalist Scott Johnson.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE