In 2018, journalist Scott Johnson received a tip that someone was impersonating high-powered women in Hollywood. Using their identities, the scammer lured artists from across the entertainment industry to Indonesia on the promise of work. People thought it was their big break. Instead, hundreds of victims found themselves in increasingly strange scenarios with a shadowy figure known as the Hollywood Con Queen. 

It sounds like a textbook con: steal someone’s identity, create a fake story and exploit people for cash. But as Scott reveals in this week’s episode of Crime Story, the scammer wasn’t motivated by money. It was about something much deeper.

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You can find this episode's transcript here.