France: Woman scammed £700,000 believing she was dating Brad Pitt

A French woman has fallen victim to an elaborate scam, losing nearly £700,000 after being convinced she was romantically involved with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.

The 53-year-old victim, identified as Anne, recounted her ordeal to French channel TF1, describing how she was ensnared in what is being dubbed the “Fake Brad Pitt Scam.”

The scheme began for Anne in September 2023 when she received a message on Instagram from an account claiming to belong to “Jane Etta Pitt,” the actor’s mother.

The scam escalated quickly, with “Jane Etta Pitt” suggesting Anne would be a perfect match for her son. A second account, posing as Brad Pitt, then messaged Anne, saying, “Hello Anne, my mother told me a lot about you. I would like to know more.”

Initially sceptical, Anne admitted she soon fell prey to the scam. “At first, I thought it was fake, but I could not understand what was happening to me. After that, we would contact each other every day and we became friends,” she said.

The fraudster impersonating Pitt sent Anne poems, songs, and AI-generated photos to mimic the actor. During a turbulent period in her personal life, Anne found solace in the exchanges, with the scammer using emotional manipulation to gain her trust. “He knew how to talk to women, it was always very well done,” Anne admitted.

The con artist began asking for money under various pretenses, starting with customs fees for luxury gifts and later claiming the actor needed funds for kidney cancer treatment.

The fraudster alleged that his ex-wife Angelina Jolie had frozen his bank accounts, leaving him unable to access his fortune. Fake photos of “Pitt” in a hospital bed were sent to Anne, further convincing her of the story’s authenticity.

Over time, Anne transferred a staggering €830,000 (£697,000) to help with what she believed were medical expenses. Her suspicions were finally raised in 2024 after seeing photographs of the real Brad Pitt with his girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, in the media.

Anne reported the scam to French police, who launched an investigation in the summer of 2024. However, the emotional toll of the ordeal has left her hospitalised with severe depression, according to BFMTV.

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