Caution, scepticism are potent weapons

Representation pic

The Versova police were recently alerted about two con artists, according to a detailed report in this newspaper. The duo had allegedly presented themselves as casting directors and duped an aspiring model and actress of R8.48 lakh on the pretext of providing her a lead role in the movie of a ‘superstar actor'.

The plot was hatched last year and the victim, who has appeared in serials, was told by the accused that casting was taking place for a film and that they were from a talent provider platform. The actress was also told that the superstar was looking for artistes to play a man and woman police officer, who would be parallel leads.
One of the scamsters later called the victim and asked her to send photos and videos for an audition and then "confirmed" her.

The conmen cheated the actress of vast sums on various pretexts. What stood out was the lengths they went through to make it all believable, including sharing fake documents and ‘approval letters' from various countries for visas with her.

Also Read: Officials must ensure repaired roads stay intact

It was only after a representative of the star called the victim - after seeing posts on social media claiming she was in the film - and told her she was not in the movie that she realised she had been defrauded.

Conmen are a dime a dozen. It is imperative that persons who have been contacted by talents scouts confirm their authenticity and verify their claims by contacting the office of the filmmaker or showrunner concerned, after getting their number, which can be obtained after a
thorough search.

Background checks are a must and any red flags or suspicions cannot and should not be dismissed. Caution and scepticism are the most potent weapons against
con artists.