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Frenchwoman Transfers $850 to Fraudster Posing as Brad Pitt, Even Divorces Husband Over Relationship with Fake Actor

'17.01.2025'

ForumDaily New York

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A 53-year-old French woman lost her entire savings to scammers posing as American actor Brad Pitt. She told the story in an interview, after which she faced a wave of online harassment and ridicule, reports France24.

As a woman who called herself Anne admitted in an interview with TF1, she believed she was in a romantic relationship with Hollywood star Brad Pitt. This led her to divorce her husband and transfer money to an account cheater $ 850 000.

The scammer or group used fake social media accounts, WhatsApp and AI-powered image-generation technology to send Anne what appeared to be selfies and messages from Pitt.

To extort money, they came up with a story that the 61-year-old actor needed money for kidney treatment, since his bank accounts were allegedly frozen due to divorce proceedings with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie.

Anne, an interior decorator with mental health issues, believed she was dating Pitt for a year and a half. She only realized she had been duped when news broke of Pitt's real-life relationship with his girlfriend Ines de Ramon.

"The broadcast of the story on January 12th has sparked a wave of harassment against this woman," TF1 presenter Harry Roselmack wrote on his X account on January 14th. "To protect her from attacks, we have decided to remove the interview from our platforms."

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During the broadcast, the channel reported that Anne had been suffering from severe depression and was undergoing treatment in hospital.

Online bullying

The interview went viral on January 13.

It sparked a flood of mocking comments and jokes, with some online critics accusing TF1 of failing to protect a vulnerable man who may not have been aware of the consequences of going public.

Toulouse Football Club jokingly tweeted that "Brad told us he'd be at the stadium on Wednesday" for the team's next match. The club later retracted the message and apologised.

Netflix France has taken to social media to advertise "four Brad Pitt films that you can watch (really) for free."

Romantic scams have become a feature of the Internet since the advent of email.

Experts say artificial intelligence has increased the risk of identity theft, pranks and online fraud.

Anne told TF1 that she was contacted by a person posing as Pitt's mother in 2023, shortly after she first started using Instagram during a family ski trip to France.

"That fake mother told me her son needed someone like me," Anne explained.

The scammer wrote to her again a few days later, but this time he was posing as Pitt.

At the time, Anne was struggling with personal issues in her marriage to a millionaire. By February 2023, she had formed a close relationship with the impostor.

“At first I told myself it was fake, that it was funny,” Anne said. “But I’m not used to social media and I didn’t really understand what was happening to me.”

What began as a seemingly innocent friendship soon grew into something more.

"These people deserve hell"

The impostor proposed to Anne and promised her luxurious gifts.

There was one catch, however - she had to pay customs duties to receive these gifts. Seeing Anne's willingness to send money, the scammer continued to make increasingly outrageous demands.

When Ann admitted that she expected a large sum from her husband in the divorce, the fraudster took advantage of the opportunity. To make the story more convincing, he sent AI-generated images of Pitt, which showed the actor looking weak and bedridden in a hospital.

Despite their constant text messages and photo exchanges, Anne noted that the fake Pitt was never available for a phone or video call.

The scammer sent her heartfelt poems and supportive messages, deepening her emotional attachment.

"So few men write you words like that. I liked the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women, it was always very nice," Anne confessed in an interview.

The Frenchwoman's daughter tried to warn her about the scam. Despite her repeated warnings, Anne believed in her alleged relationship with Pitt.This era was shaken only in the summer of 2024. Then, photos of the real Pitt with his girlfriend Ines de Ramon appeared in the media.

Sensing the victim's growing doubts, the scammer quickly sent Ann a fabricated news item. It denied Pitt's connection to de Ramon and stated that Pitt was secretly involved with an unknown person.

Financially depleted, Anne was forced to sell all her furniture and move in with a friend. In a last-ditch effort to cope with her worsening situation, she launched an online fundraiser to help cover her mounting legal costs.

She attempted suicide three times, after which she was admitted to a specialized clinic for the treatment of severe depression.

It remains unclear whether the defrauded woman ever got back any of her lost money. She still in the hospital - struggling with the devastating effects of this ordeal.

"I keep asking myself, why did they pick me to hurt me like that?" Anne concluded. "I've never hurt anyone. These people deserve hell."

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