AI scam posing as Brad Pitt takes €830,000 from French woman
Anne, a French citizen, lost €830,000 (approximately CAD 1,260,000), thinking she was helping Brad Pitt with cancer treatment. "The actor" supposedly sent her numerous photos as proof of his illness. However, these pictures were generated by AI.
New technologies have allowed scammers to devise more sophisticated methods to extract money from those unaware of the risks. Many scams use the "celebrity" method. The internet is filled with fake accounts claiming to belong to celebrities, as we detailed in a previous report, showing how a scammer posing as Henry Cavill, the actor from "The Witcher," sent romantic messages to a journalist. One French citizen couldn't distinguish between fact and fiction, believing the mother of a sick Brad Pitt contacted her.
Brad Pitt extracted hundreds of thousands of euros from the woman
A French citizen, known only as Anne, fell victim to fraud, losing €830,000. Someone convinced her that he was Brad Pitt, using images generated by artificial intelligence.
Anne, an interior designer, first received messages regarding Brad Pitt's illness in 2023. She recounted the story in a report for a French television station. A person contacted Anne, posing as Jane Etta Pitt, the star's mother (who is over 80 years old today). The conversation gradually turned to the idea that Anne would be an excellent candidate as the actor's girlfriend. "You're the type of woman my son needs," she read.
Shortly afterward, she received a message from another account. This was supposedly Brad Pitt, whom the mother introduced to Anne. Going through a difficult period in her marriage, she began a relationship with the scammer, who sent her poems and photos. She initially suspected fraud, but the daily messages and photos eventually reassured her. The scammer, impersonating Brad Pitt, asked for money supposedly for cancer treatment.
As the relationship developed, the scammer began asking for increasingly large sums, claiming he needed them for customs fees on gifts. Anne, awaiting a divorce, agreed to help, believing in the authenticity of the situation. The scammer even sent photos from a "hospital" to validate his requests. Today, these photos can be found online, as Anne appeared for the first time in front of cameras on the French station TF1 and shared her story with the media.
Anne lost almost one million euros before she began to suspect fraud. The alarm bells only rang when she saw pictures of Brad with his new partner, Ines de Ramon. She reported the case to the police, who began an investigation. It is unclear if any money was recovered. Anne is currently in a clinic due to severe depression. The story has garnered sympathy among internet users, who emphasize how cruel romance scams are.
