Two women have been scammed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars... all by a fake Brad Pitt.
In a scam that could easily be mistaken for a Hollywood plot, five people in Spain were arrested after pretending to be none other than actor Brad Pitt to swindle two women out of €325,000 ($362,000), CNN reports.
Yep, you read that right — some cyber criminals thought the best way to make bank was by posing as the Fight Club star.
According to the Guardia Civil, this intricate catfishing scheme involved scammers reaching out to two women via a Brad Pitt fan site and convincing them that they were talking to the Hollywood heartthrob himself.
And it wasn’t just some casual fan chat — they persuaded the women that “Brad” wanted to invest in projects with them and, naturally, promised a romantic relationship in exchange.
After all, who wouldn’t fall for the idea of being Brad Pitt’s next big love interest?
The scammers studied their victims closely, crafting psychological profiles based on their social media accounts. “The cybercriminals discovered that both women were vulnerable people suffering from depression and a lack of affection,” the police statement explained.
In other words, they knew exactly how to tug on their heartstrings.
Before long, both women found themselves exchanging messages and emails on WhatsApp with the person they thought was Pitt. They were then convinced to transfer money.
One woman lost €175,000 ($195,000), while the other was conned out of €150,000 ($167,000). It wasn’t until the women realized they’d been scammed that they contacted the police.
Investigators managed to recover €85,000 ($95,000) of the stolen money, but the damage was already done.
As part of Operation Bralina, a total of 10 other individuals are also under investigation for their involvement in the scam, which spanned eight provinces. The scheme was well-organized, involving a network of fake bank accounts and “money mules” who helped launder the funds in exchange for a small cut.
So, while Brad Pitt might be breaking hearts on the big screen, it’s safe to say he wasn’t looking for love via WhatsApp.
This catfishing disaster is a wild reminder that if someone online claims to be a Hollywood star asking for your money, you might want to think twice.
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