A 53-year-old woman from France says she was scammed into sending €830,000 (£697,000) to someone she believed was Brad Pitt for his ‘cancer treatment’.
Anne, an interior designer, shared that it all began when she received a social media message from someone pretending to be the actor’s mother. The next day, she got another message from an account claiming to be the actor himself. The message reportedly said, “Hello Anne, my mother told me a lot about you. I would like to know more.”
At the time, Anne was going through a tough period with her husband and found comfort in talking to the person. She recalled, “At first, I thought it was fake, but I didn’t really understand what was happening to me. We started talking every day and became friends.”
The scammer convinced her they couldn’t afford treatment because of financial issues stemming from a divorce with Angelina Jolie. They sent AI-generated photos of Brad Pitt in the hospital holding cards with personalized messages. Despite the communication, they never spoke over the phone, claiming to be too ‘busy’.
Over time, Anne agreed to marry the person after receiving €775,000 (£652,310) from her divorce. She sent large sums of money to the scammer, who promised to send luxury gifts in return. However, she was asked to pay a €9,000 (£7,575) customs fee, which she never recovered.
Anne grew suspicious when she saw Brad Pitt in public with his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon. She hired investigators, and the truth quickly came to light.
Currently, Anne is reportedly in a hospital clinic with severe depression, and it’s unclear if she has recovered any of her money. An investigation is ongoing.
A representative for Brad Pitt commented on the situation, warning fans not to respond to unsolicited online messages, especially from actors who don’t have a social media presence.
This case highlights the dangers of online scams and the importance of being cautious when interacting with people on social media.
