A French woman believed she was dating Hollywood star Brad Pitt, only to discover she had fallen victim to an elaborate scam, ultimately costing her €830,000 ($851,000).
The 53-year-old interior designer, identified only as Anne, shared her story with French channel TF1, revealing how the deception began in September 2023 with a seemingly innocent Instagram message from an account claiming to be Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta Pitt.
The initial messages quickly shifted focus to Brad Pitt, with the alleged "mother" suggesting that Anne would be a perfect romantic match for her son.
"It is a woman like you that my son needs," the fraudster wrote, per the Metro.
The very next day, Anne was contacted by another account, supposedly Brad Pitt himself. “Hello Anne, my mother told me a lot about you. I would like to know more,” the message read.
Although she initially suspected it might be a scam, Anne admitted to feeling "flabbergasted" by the situation and was soon drawn into what she believed was a genuine connection with the actor.
"At first, I thought it was fake, but I could not understand what was happening to me," Anne explained. "After that, we would contact each other every day and we became friends."
At the time, Anne was going through a tumultuous period in her personal life, including a troubled relationship with a millionaire entrepreneur nearly two decades her senior. The scammer, posing as Pitt, exploited her vulnerability by sending poems, songs, and AI-generated photos resembling the actor.
“He knew how to talk to women; it was always very well done,” Anne recalled.
The scammer’s ploy soon turned financial. He claimed to have purchased luxury bags for Anne but insisted she cover customs fees, leading her to lose €9,000 ($9,220) initially.
The fraud escalated when the fake Pitt revealed he had kidney cancer and needed funds for treatment, reports BFM TV. The con artist alleged that his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, had frozen his accounts, leaving him unable to access his fortune.
The fraudster sent Anne staged photos of Pitt in a hospital bed connected to an IV machine, which ultimately convinced her to transfer €830,000 ($851,000) over time.
Anne’s doubts only emerged when she saw photographs in the news of Brad Pitt with his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.
Realizing the scam, she reported the incident to French police, who launched an investigation in the summer of 2024.
The aftermath of the scam has taken a severe toll on Anne’s mental health. According to BFM TV, she is currently hospitalized in a clinic, battling severe depression.
This case is part of a growing trend of “Fake Brad Pitt” scams, with several similar incidents reported in Spain in 2024.
In that particular instance, 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.
The story highlights the devastating impact of online fraud, particularly when emotional vulnerability is exploited.
.jpg_tY1mPk?tr=h-184)
