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Brad Pitt fans are being cautioned about online scammers after a shocking case involving a French woman who was defrauded of $850,000 and left her husband, believing she was romantically involved with the Hollywood star. A spokesperson for the "Moneyball" actor told Entertainment Weekly: "It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities, but this is an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence."
The latest victim, a 53-year-old French interior designer named Anne, detailed her ordeal during an interview with "Seven to Eight" on France's TF1 channel, as reported by France 24. According to Anne, the scam began when she was contacted on Instagram by someone claiming to be Pitt's mother. "She told me that her son needed someone like me," Anne said.
Days later, an account posing as Brad Pitt reached out directly. "At first, I said to myself that it was fake, that it's ridiculous," Anne told TF1. "But I'm not used to social media, and I didn't really understand what was happening to me."
The scammers spun an elaborate story, claiming that Pitt needed financial assistance to cover kidney treatment costs. However, his bank accounts were frozen during divorce proceedings, so he could not afford them. To substantiate their claims, they sent Anne doctored and AI-generated images of the actor in a hospital bed.
Convinced she was in a romantic relationship with Pitt, Anne eventually transferred $850,000 to the scammers and even divorced her husband to "pursue" her connection with the person she believed was the Hollywood star. "I was in love with the man I was chatting to," Anne said, according to The Guardian. "He knew how to speak to a woman."
© Annalisa RanzoniAnne ultimately realized she had been scammed when she came across reports of Pitt's real-life romance with Ines de Ramon. Heartbroken and financially devastated, she filed a police report. "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" Anne said. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell."
© METROPOLIS/Bauer-GriffinThis incident follows another Pitt-related scam in September when Spain's Interior Ministry arrested five online scammers for defrauding two women out of $350,000 using a similar scheme. While it is unclear if the incidents in France and Spain are connected, both show the growing threat of online scams leveraging celebrity identities.
As scams become more sophisticated, using AI and doctored images, experts urge the public to exercise caution. Like many other high-profile celebrities, fans are reminded that Brad Pitt does not have a verified presence on social media. Authorities encourage people to report suspicious activity and refrain from engaging with unsolicited messages, no matter how convincing they appear.
Reflecting on her experience, she urged others to be vigilant: "Don't let yourself be blinded by words or photos that seem too good to be true."
