17-07-2019

ART & CULTURE
WedneSdAy,
jUly 17, 2019
8
FBI seeks more victims of Hollywood Con
Artist after marvel executive targeted
The FBI has created a website
for victims of the socalled
Con Queen of
Hollywood, a sophisticated
swindler who for several
years has been impersonating
prominent producers,
studio executives and other
members of the entertainment
industry as part of an
elaborate financial scam.
"FBI Seeking Victims in
Indonesia Showbiz Scam
Investigation," the agency's
San Diego office announced
in a release unveiling the
new site early Monday
morning. "This on-going
transnational fraud scheme
targeting U.S citizens began
in approximately 2013. The
FBI is releasing this information
to prevent individuals,
primarily those who
work in the entertainment
industry, from becoming
victims of the scam."
The new FBI missive
invites victims to submit
statements with biographical
data and details about
their exposure, and
includes a website address
for victims to access.
Running parallel to the
financial ploy, the Con
Queen also has been luring
people into sexually
charged phone conversations,
with no apparent
financial stakes involved. To
date, nearly two dozen
prominent executives in
Hollywood have been
impersonated, including
Lucasfilm president
Kathleen Kennedy and former
Paramount chair
Sherry Lansing.
Several dozen more,
including up-and-coming
actors, photographers,
stunt performers, military
veterans, makeup artists
and others, have been targeted
for potential sexual or
monetary exploitation.
This was the case recently
when the imposter began
targeting Marvel Studios. In
April, Victoria Alonso, executive
vp production at
Marvel, discovered the Con
Queen was using her identity
to conduct lurid fake telephone
auditions with aspiring
actors. The fraud
sparked an internal inquiry
at Marvel parent company
Disney and lawyers from
outside the company were
brought in to investigate
further.
The scam has affected
hundreds of people on at
least four continents. Over
the last several years, the
Con Queen appears to have
stolen hundreds of thousands
of dollars, according
to victims, law enforcement
officials and investigators
tracking the case.
After disguising herself in
the identities of high-profile
personalities - which have
includedWendi Murdoch,
the ex-wife of Fox chairman
Rupert Murdoch, former
Sony head Amy Pascal and,
most recently, Alonso - the
scammer makes contact
with her marks via email or
phone offering nonexistent
work opportunities.
The Hollywood Reporter
first detailed efforts to
understand and dismantle
the scam in a 2018 cover
story, "Hunting the Con
Queen of Hollywood,"
which examined how the
scammer lures people to
Indonesia with fake offers
of work.
Once the person is in
Indonesia, the scammer
promises to reimburse the
upfront costs that these
marks pay for services like
translation, driving and
logistical help, but never
does. That money is then
likely siphoned back into
her coffers.
While the sexual component
of the scam has
appeared before, the frequency
appears to have
ramped up recently. In mid-
March, using a fake email
account, the imposter sent
emails to at least half a
dozen people, including
several aspiring actors, pretending
to be prominent
casting director Sarah Finn,
who worked on Avengers:
Infinity War and Black
Panther.
After gaining her target's
trust with an initial email,
the imposter then made
several phone calls impersonating
Finn's colleague,
Alonso, of Marvel. Actor
Brandon Wengrzynek was
one of those who received
the fake Finn email and
subsequent phone call from
the fake Alonso.
In the email, the fake
Finn told Wengrzynek that
she wanted him to get on
the phone with Alonso to
discuss a role for him in an
upcoming Marvel TV
series. The imposter then
posed as Alonso's supposed
assistant, "James," who
told the actor that he needed
to "bring everything
you've got" to the upcoming
call with Alonso. When
the call from the fake
Alonso came, Wengrzynek
did as he was told.
During the call, the Con
Queen urged Wengrzynek
to engage in sexually explicit
role-play in order to convince
her that he had the
necessary acting chops.
Wengrzynek played along,
to a point, until the conversation
became too uncomfortable
and weird.
"She was absolutely convincing,"
Wengrzynek tells
THR. "It just blows my
mind how professional the
whole thing is."
Wengrzynek eventually
contacted a friend in an
attempt to verify the job
offer, and only then learned
that it was fake.
All three people - Finn,
Alonso and Alonso's fake
assistant, "James" - were, in
effect, "performed" by the
Con Queen.
"I want my name to be
loud and clear," Alonso says
in an interview. "This is not
how we work. This is not
who we are. We would
never ask people to do that."
Alonso first learned that she
had been impersonated in
mid-April, about 10 days
before the April 26 debut of
Marvel's Avengers: Endgame.
One of the movie's stars
told her that a stunt performer
friend of his had
received what he thought
was a call from Alonso in
which she purportedly said
that Marvel planned to
replace actor Jeremy
Renner and was looking for
another stunt performer.
Alonso corrected her
friend, thinking that
would be the end of it.
Instead, about a month
later, she received a call
from two lawyers who had
been hired by Disney to
investigate further.
"Disney never said we
think you did this," says
Alonso, "They just said, 'We
need to corroborate that
you didn't.'" "People need
to understand that this is
not what Marvel or I would
ever do," Alonso says of the
whole ordeal, which left her
feeling humiliated and
angry. "It's a horrible, horrible
thing. I've had an unimpeachable
30-year career.
That somebody is claiming I
have done these things - I've
spent many, many sleepless
nights."
Alonso says she wants as
many people as possible to
be aware that the scam is
still ongoing, despite the
involvement of law enforcement.
"This person is preying on
people's dreams," she says,
"If something happens to
you, report it. If it feels
wrong, it is. Walk away."
K2 Intelligence, a New
York based security and
corporate intelligence firm
that has been tracking the
case for more than two
years, also issued a statement
Monday:
"K2 Intelligence commends
the FBI for establishing
a web form to identify
victims of the Indonesia
Show Business Scam, better
known as the Con Queen of
Hollywood, bringing the
investigation one step closer
to justice for all victims.
We are immensely proud of
our team, led by Nicoletta
Kotsianas, for working diligently
on this investigation
and helping shed light on
the impersonations of powerful
women in Hollywood
and other, prominent highnet-worth
individuals, as
well as those taken in by the
fraudulent scam, traveling
to Indonesia and fronting
money never to be reimbursed.
K2 Intelligence encourages
all who believe they
may have been a target of
this scam to participate in
this effort and to help law
enforcement identify the
true reach of this nefarious
impersonator and move the
needle on bringing the
investigation to a close."
The FBI opened its own
investigation late last year
in the wake of this magazine's
coverage. The FBI
issued a warning for future
potential victims.
"Please be advised this is
an ongoing fraud scheme
and individuals who have
plans to travel to Indonesia
for a job opportunity in the
entertainment industry
should perform additional
research and proceed with
caution," the FBI release
states.
So far, the Con Queen
remains at large.
The FBI did not respond
to requests for further comment
on the status of the
ongoing investigation.
-The Hollywood Reporter
tully
A struggling mother of three forms
an unexpected bond with the night
nanny hired to help with her newborn
baby.
Genre
Director
Writer
Cast
Pink had some strong
words for those trying to
mom-shame her after a
photo she posted on
Instagram Sunday elicited
some critical comments.
In the image, it appears
that her daughter Willow, 8,
and son Jameson, 2, are
running through the
Holocaust Memorial in
Berlin, Germany. "His place
is not definitely a hide and
seek place, dear Pink," one
person wrote.
Pink responded with a
caption which began
: Comedy, Drama,
Mystery
: Jason Reitman
: Diablo Cody
: Charlize Theron,
Mackenzie
Davis,Ron
Livingston
: 95 min
Runtime
Release Date : 4 May, 2018
Pink responds to criticism
over her kids running through
Holocaust memorial
Actress Pooja Batra confirmed
she married Nawab
Shah in a family-only wedding
ceremony in the
National Capital in an interview
with Bombay Times.
The Virasat actress trended
all of last week for reports
stating she's married actor
Nawab Shah in a secret
wedding.
Speaking to Bombay
Times, Pooja said: "Yes, we
are married. Nawab and I
exchanged vows in Delhi,
with only our families in
attendance. Our loved ones
kept asking us why we were
delaying it (the marriage). I
was simply going with the
flow, but then I realised that
he is the man I want to
spend the rest of my life
with, and there is no point
in delaying it any further.
So, here we are. We had an
Arya Samaj wedding, and
we will register our marriage
this week."
Meanwhile, Pooja Batra
updated her Instagram feed
with a photo of herself as a
new bride, sporting traditional
attire with hands full
of chudha.
Speaking to Bombay
Times, Pooja Batra added
that she married Nawab
after dating him for five-six
months: "I knew of Nawab
"Berlin, I love you. #holocaustmemorial
#panamarestaurant
#cocktailclasses
#history #herstory
#worldtour."
"And for all of the comments;
these two children
are in actuality Jewish, as
am I and the entirety of my
mothers family," the singer
wrote. "The very person who
constructed this believed in
children being children, and
to me this is a celebration of
life after death. Please keep
your hatred and judgment
to yourselves."
by virtue of being in the
same profession. However,
we strongly connected after
we were reintroduced by a
common friend in February
this year. I guess we reconnected
at the right time in
our life. We were in the
same space emotionally and
hit it off instantly."
Pooja Batra and Nawab
Shah began after she introduced
the Tiger Zinda Hai
actor to her Instagram as:
"man crush every day."
The Internet also quickly
tracked down a boomerang
video on Nawab Shah's
feed that suggested he may
be married to Pooja Batra
It's not the first time Pink
has faced down the shamers.
In April, Pink said during
an appearance with daytime
talk show host Ellen
DeGeneres that she would
no longer be sharing photos
of her children after negative
comments regarding a
photo showing her son without
his diaper on.
"I cried so hard after that
because I like to share my
family," Pink said. "It's my
proudest moment in my
whole life. I'm prouder of
my kids than anything I've
ever done. I just, I won't
share them anymore."
-CNN
Pooja Batra tied Knot
with nawab Shah
StorylIne :
Marlo, a mother of two, is
pregnant with an unplanned
third child. Jonah, her son, has
a developmental disorder that
doctors have been unable to
diagnose; she uses the
Wilbarger Protocol to brush
his skin in an attempt to
reduce his sensitivity. When
Marlo and her husband Drew
visit her wealthy brother
Craig's house for dinner, he
offers to pay for a night nanny
as a baby shower gift, but
Marlo rebuffs him. Marlo gives
birth to a daughter she names
Mia, and quickly becomes
overwhelmed and exhausted.
After Jonah's principal recommends
that he be placed in a
different school, Marlo breaks
down, and she retrieves the
contact information for the
night nanny.
-IMDb
already.
Pooja Batra is best known
for her roles in films such as
Virasat, Kahin Pyaar Na Ho
Jaaye, Jodi No 1 and Nayak.
Nawab Shah has featured in
small roles in movies like
Musafir, Lakshya, Don 2
and Dilwale.
-NDTV
H o r o S C o P e
ArIeS
(March 21 - April 20) : Confirmation of
professional success could come your way,
Aries, and you're probably feeling excited
and motivated to keep pushing. But you may find that
increased responsibilities interfere with your social life.
You wonder if friends have forgotten you. They haven't,
but it will make you feel better if you squeeze in a few
hours for your friends each week. Remember what they
say about all work and no play.
tAUrUS
(April 21 - May 21) : More than usual, you're
probably craving solitude today, Taurus.
Although you may have committed to
attending a party or get-together, now the idea may seem
irritating. You may rather work on some tasks or projects,
or you might want to go for a workout and release some
of the tension you feel. The latter idea is good. If you exercise
early, you might feel like going out later.
GeMInI
(May 22 - June 21) : Although you're normally
a sociable person who feels most comfortable
in the company of others, Gemini,
today you may prefer to be alone. You could feel a little
under the weather, or you could be stressed from job-related
worries. You probably need rest, but you might also benefit
from taking a walk to work off some tension, get the
endorphins going, and help you feel like yourself again.
CAnCer
(June 22 - July 23) : You tend to enjoy
solitude, Cancer, but today you might
feel more reclusive than usual. Friends
could invite you out, but you aren't likely to accept the
offer. You might even feel a little irritated. This is a
great day to work out or throw yourself into your own
projects. Your concentration is good and the physical
activity will get relieve the stress.
leo
(July 24 - Aug. 23) : There might be tension
in the air for no discernible reason today.
Family members might seem preoccupied
with problems they can't define. Your natural inclination
could be to try to cheer them up, Leo, but it probably
won't work. Don't be annoyed if they don't respond. It
isn't them. Blame the planets. This is a great day to jog,
take a cardio class, or otherwise work off stress.
VIrGo
(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23) : Some mysterious
telephone calls might come your
way - wrong numbers or hang-ups.
Other people might seem less communicative
than usual, Virgo, and you may be
preoccupied. You might feel a bit more nervous
than usual, but that should go away if you take a
walk or get some other exercise. If you've been
thinking about doing some writing, this is the
day to start.
lIBrA
(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) : Confusion over
money matters might arise, Libra. You
may need to check your records to shed
light on past transactions. Don't worry. All should be
well once you ascertain the facts. You might have
some intense dreams tonight. Write them down.
You will want to remember them later, because they
might reveal a lot about your current situation.
SCorPIo
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : Someone close to you
might seem more preoccupied than
usual, Scorpio, and perhaps a bit difficult
to deal with. Don't take this personally. It has little, if
anything, to do with you. This person has troubles of
their own that they don't want to share. You might be
feeling a bit tense and jumpy, but again, this is nothing
to worry about. Take a walk or work out at the gym.
SAGIttArIUS
(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21) : You might feel a bit
tense, Sagittarius, and you probably
won't understand why. The reason?
The planets. You might jump at unexpected
noises or take offense where none is intended.
Relations with others might be a little strained,
necessitating some communication about how
you're feeling. Try to work off the tension by taking a
brisk walk or perhaps working out at the gym.
CAPrICorn
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20) : You probably aren't
going to feel like socializing even though
friends want you to go out with them.
Your patience could be worn a bit thin, Capricorn, and
you may get annoyed at incidents that normally wouldn't
bother you. This isn't a good day for group activities
or parties. It might be best to get a good workout and
then rest. You will feel much better afterward.
AQUArIUS
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Recent spiritual breakthroughs
might have you feeling both
exhilarated and downcast, Aquarius. Your
sensitive side tells you that this is a definite
step forward on your spiritual path, but the logical side
might cause you to doubt its reality. Take comfort in the
fact that reality is relative and that what you're sensing is
at least valid for you. Then keep moving ahead.
PISCeS
(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Many of your personal
goals have either been met or are
in progress, Pisces, and you're feeling
exhilarated. However, people around you might
have their hands out. You may be asked to contribute
to charities or make personal loans to people
you don't know well. You want to help whenever you
can, but be discriminating about whom you help
now. Some may be less than trustworthy.