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Police warn of bogus producer preying on Hollywood hopefuls

E-mail|Link|Comments () September 25, 2009 06:00 PM

By Globe Staff

Boston police are warning would-be starlets to beware after receiving several reports of a man falsely claiming to be a movie producer arranging meetings over the Internet with women seeking movie roles.

Within the past week, police said, the man set up an audition at a downtown hotel with a woman who had responded to an Internet ad. During the audition, the man attempted to convince the woman to perform sex acts on him in exchange for the movie part. She denied his requests and called police.

In August, police said, another woman reported a meeting with a "producer" at the same hotel. And in January, police said, a woman met the bogus producer at a downtown restaurant. The man, who had contacted her through the Internet, then convinced her to act out a seductive scene in the building's elevator. The woman later became suspicious and called police.

"Boston Police urge anyone interested or considering auditioning for acting roles posted on the Internet to exercise extreme caution," police said in a statement.

Police urged anyone who had experienced a similar incident, or had any other information, to contact detectives at 617-343-4248 or to email Lieutenant Charles Wilson at wilsonC.bpd@ci.boston.ma.us.

They also offered the following tips for in-person meetings with someone you've only contacted on the Internet:

-- Research the person you're meeting;
-- Only agree to meet in a public, heavily populated area;
-- Never accompany the individual to an isolated place;
-- Keep your cell phone with you;
-- Bring a family member or friend with you;
-- Tell family or friends your whereabouts;

Police also said people should trust their instincts. "If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't," police said.