A French woman, 53-year-old Anne, was scammed out of $850,000 by an individual posing as Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. The victim believed she was in a romantic relationship with the famous actor and sent him money for extended medical expenses.
The Deceptive Scheme
The scam began when Anne was contacted on Instagram by someone claiming to be Angelina Jolie’s former husband’s mother.
The scammer later assumed Pitt’s identity and sent Anne love poems, declarations of affection, and AI-generated videos and images to maintain the illusion of their relationship. Anne, who was experiencing marital difficulties at the time, ultimately divorced her husband and devoted herself to her supposed relationship with Pitt.
The Financial Impact
To further manipulate Anne, the scammer sent fake hospital photos, claiming Pitt was in urgent need of medical treatment.
Over the course of their correspondence, Anne transferred a total of 830,000 euros (approximately $850,000) to the scammer, believing she was helping her beloved actor.
The truth came to light when Anne saw reports of Brad Pitt’s relationship with jewelry designer Ines De Ramon, leading her to realize she had been deceived.
The Legal and Emotional Aftermath
Anne has since filed a police report, according to TF1. “I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?” she said. “I’ve never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell”.
Following the Seven to Eight broadcast, Anne has faced cyberbullying, while other online users have attacked the TV channel TF1 for failing to protect the woman from harassment.
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