A 53-year-old French woman, identified as Anne, has fallen prey to an elaborate romance scam, losing €830,000 ($850,000) to a fraudster posing as Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.
Anne, an interior decorator, joined Instagram in February 2023 to share vacation photos when she was first contacted by someone claiming to be Jane Pitt, Brad Pitt’s mother. The scammer convinced her that she was a perfect match for the actor, and soon after, a person posing as Brad Pitt reached out to her. They began communicating daily, and over time, Anne developed a deep emotional connection with the individual she believed to be the famous actor.
The scammer went to great lengths to build credibility, sending Anne personalized love poems, messages, and even AI-generated selfies that appeared to be genuine. As their relationship progressed, the scammer learned about Anne’s recent divorce and financial settlement and exploited her emotions by claiming he was suffering from severe kidney issues. He further convinced her that, due to his ongoing divorce from Angelina Jolie, he could not afford medical bills. To make the story more believable, he even sent AI-generated images of himself lying in a hospital bed.
Believing she was helping her true love, Anne transferred over €830,000 ($850,000), including her entire divorce settlement, to cover the supposed medical expenses.
It wasn’t until Anne saw media reports about Brad Pitt’s relationship with Ines de Ramon that she realized she had been scammed. The realization left her devastated, financially drained, and the subject of ridicule on social media and TV programs for falling victim to such a scam.
“I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm,” Anne shared in an emotional statement. “These people deserve hell.”
Anne has filed a police report, but authorities have yet to make significant progress in locating the scammers.
