Brad Pitt Scam Romance - How to Protect Yourself

A 53-year-old French interior designer, identified as Anne, was defrauded of approximately €830,000 ($850,000) over an 18-month period.

How the Scam Works

• The Hook: Scammers initially contacted her on Instagram, first posing as Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta, to "vet" her before "Brad" himself took over communication.
• The Tactic: Fraudsters used AI-generated photos and videos to simulate real-time interactions, including fake selfies of Pitt in a hospital bed to solicit money for "kidney cancer treatment".
• The Explanation for Cash: The imposter claimed he could not access his own millions because his bank accounts were frozen due to his ongoing divorce from Angelina Jolie.
• The Outcome: Anne divorced her husband and sent nearly her entire settlement to the scammers. She only realized the truth when she saw news of the real Brad Pitt with his girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.

Other Incidents

• Spain (September 2024): Spanish police arrested five people for defrauding two women of €325,000 using a similar "fake Brad Pitt" persona.
• Nigeria Connection: Some reports indicate that the group behind the French scam may have been operating from Nigeria.

A spokesperson for the actor issued a statement following the French case, calling it "awful" that scammers take advantage of fans. They emphasized that Brad Pitt has no official social media presence and urged fans never to respond to unsolicited messages from anyone claiming to be him.

Signs of Celebrity Scams

• No Social Media: Authentic A-list celebrities like Pitt often do not have personal, public-facing social media accounts for direct messaging.
• Financial Crisis: Claims of "frozen accounts" or "emergency medical bills" are common tactics to create urgency.
• Deepfake Media: Scammers now use AI tools to create realistic but fake videos and photos.