- By Shivangi Sharma
- Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:53 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A 53-year-old French woman, identified only as Anne, has become the latest victim of the infamous ‘Fake Brad Pitt Scam’, losing a staggering €800,000 (Rs 7 Crore) to an online fraudster posing as the Hollywood star. Anne's ordeal began in September 2023 when she received a message on Instagram from someone claiming to be Brad Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta Pitt.
The following day, another account contacted her, allegedly Brad Pitt himself, saying: "Hello Anne, my mother told me a lot about you. I would like to know more." Initially suspicious, Anne eventually fell into the scammer’s elaborate trap.
Speaking to French TV channel TF1, Anne described her disbelief at the interaction. "At first, I thought it was fake, but I couldn’t understand what was happening to me. After that, we would contact each other every day, and we became friends," she recalled.
The scammer used AI-generated videos and images to pose as Brad Pitt, convincing Anne to send €9,000 for a "luxury gift" and additional funds for a supposed kidney surgery. The fraudster deceived Anne until 2024 when she learned of Pitt's relationship with Ines De Ramon. The revelation left her devastated, resulting in severe depression and hospitalisation.
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Designer’s Costly Heartbreak
The fraudster spun a convincing tale, claiming Pitt’s bank accounts were frozen due to an ongoing divorce with Angelina Jolie, leaving him unable to fund critical medical treatments. Anne, an interior designer, was emotionally vulnerable at the time, dealing with a rocky personal life and a strained relationship with a wealthy businessman 19 years her senior, according to the French newspaper Sud Ouest.
The scammer exploited her emotional turmoil, gaining her trust and convincing her to transfer money over time. The scam's scale only became evident after Anne lost a total of €800,000.
This case is part of a broader trend of similar scams, with several incidents reported in Spain in 2024. The ‘Fake Brad Pitt Scam’ targets vulnerable individuals, often spinning elaborate stories to extract money.
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