A French woman fell victim of another love scam and lost €830,000 and her marriage after believing she was dating the real Hollywood actor and celebrity Brad Pitt, but all along, she have been talking with a impersonator using fake AI generated images and videos.
53-year-old Anne fell in love with the Brad Pitt impersonator who got her using fake pictures of the actor that she divorced her husband and transferred almost all the money she got as settlement to the fake Pitt who told her he was in need of funds for an urgent cancer treatment.
Anne’s ordeal started in February 2023 when she got involved on social media, opened an Instagram account, and posted photos from a recent ski adventure on the Alps. She was then messaged by a fake account impersonating Brad Pitt’s mother – Jane Etta Pitt.
Jane Pitt told her her “son needs a woman like you”, and the following day, the said son, who is a Brad Pitt impersonator that created the social media account using deep-fake AI generated images of the actor, messaged her.
The fake Brad Pit asked for more details of herself and soon enough, the two started talking well. Anne said she initially thought the account was not real but after some series of conversation she began to fall in love.
Their online romance was cemented when Anne requested for Pitt’s ID and he sent a fake passport. The impersonator made it seem so natural by sending conversations he supposedly had with others as well as personalized photos which Anne fell for.
The fake celebrity’s charming conversations and interest in her life and career as an interior designer made her fault her husband and with time, the dislike grew so much that she requested a divorce which made her €775,000 richer.
Then scammer started the milking phase. He first proposed to marry her and said he sent some luxurious gifts to her but she would need to pay custom fee amounting to €9,000 because his accounts were frozen due to his legal battle and impending divorce from his wife Angelina Jolie.
He then told Anne that he was hospitalized and treating kidney cancer. He sent AI photos of Brad Pitt on a hospital bed and being operated on and said he urgently needed €800,000 for surgery. Anne’s family and friends told her not to send the money and that she was dealing with a scammer.
Anne’s doubts were however laid to rest when a fake doctor contacted her and told her that the actor’s health was really in bad shape, and she sent the money thinking she was saving a man’s life.
The scales tried to fall off her eyes when the real Brad Pitt was on the news with his new girlfriend Inès de Ramon, but the scammers sent her fake news publication that said the reports of him finding the new love were not true.
The love-scam which was well planned had a fake FBI agent contact Anne and telling her the case would be investigated and the scammer caught but she will need to pay €5,000. The desperate woman paid it.
Anne’s narrated her story on French TV Sept à Huit on TF1 (Seven to Eight) on TF1 on January 12. She was left financially ruined and highly depressed, leading her to attempt suicide 3 times. She is now undergoing therapy and seeking justice.
While her story drew sympathy, it also came with online mockery. France’s radio show Football team Toulouse FC trolled her on X saying; “Hi Anne, Brad told us he’d be at the Stadium on Wednesday for #TFCLAVAL. What about you? We’ve included the link to buy your ticket. See you on Wednesday.”
Following heavy backlash, the soccer team took down the post and shared an apology.
