The Indo Daily: Revisited – The Irish actor conned out of thousands by fake Hollywood producer

A scene from the film 'Kiss Of The Con Queen', currently in production, showing Irish actor Eoin O'Brien, who fell victim to the con queen and wrote the film. Photo: De Warrenne Pictures/PA

Sun 16 Jun 2024 at 08:08

For Eoin O’Brien, a Dublin expat living in Bangkok, securing a part in a blockbuster film was the dream of a lifetime. But the Hollywood producer who he thought was giving him that opportunity was not who they said they were.

Convinced 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 (€4,600) fee before handing over thousands of dollars for “shooting permits”, which he was assured would be reimbursed. But after four days of being driven to remote locations, Bangkok-based Mr O’Brien realised he had been scammed and fled Indonesia in the middle of the night.

His story echoes the experiences of victims of Hargobind Tahilramani, also known as the Con Queen of Hollywood, accused of being behind an elaborate scam, taking over $1million from more than 300 victims.

On today’s The Indo Daily: Revisited Fionnán Sheahan speaks to Eoin O’Brien about his own story of being scammed by a supposed Hollywood producer and turning that experience into a film.