How 'Brad Pitt' Duped French Woman To The Tune Of ₹7 Crore Using Fake Hospitalisation, Luxury Gifts And Smooth Talk

A 53-year-old French woman was made to believe that she is in a ‘relationship’ with the Hollywood actor Brad Pitt using an elaborate scheme of AI-generated photos and tactics. The ordeal ended with Anne losing millions of Euros and compromising her mental health. It was only when reports of the actor's link-up with Ines de Ramon came to light that the scam was exposed.

Man posing as ‘Brad Pitt’ dupes French woman

It all started when Anne was on a luxurious ski trip to Tignes in 2023. The French interior designer's post on Instagram gave a brief about her luxurious lifestyle, attracting the scammer's attention. An account posing as Brad Pitt's mother Jane Etta Pitt, messaged Anne. A day later, she got a message from the man himself - Brad Pitt.

Though initially hesitant, Anne was convinced by the scammer that she was really talking to Brad Pitt, by sharing AI-generated photos and voice messages. She admitted that the unlikely friendship was strengthened after the ‘actor' shared romantic poems and kind appreciation posts. Anne, who was married to a millionaire at the time, was in the midst of her divorce, making her grow closer to Pitt. She told a French news channel, “There are so few men who write you this kind of thing. I liked the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women, it was always very well done." She recalled the actor even proposing to her for marriage at one point.

How did the scam unfold?

What started as a sweet exchange of messages, soon became a monetary transaction. Anne was promised luxury gifts from high-end brands, on the condition that she would pay the customs fee (which would be as high as around ₹8 Lakhs at times). Once she paid up the amount, the requests kept coming.
 

The final nail in the coffin was when the scammer claimed that Pitt was suffering from kidney cancer and needed immediate funds for his treatment. Anne was made to believe that the claims were true using AI-generated photos showing the actor admitted to the hospital. She was further told that Pitt's account had been frozen due to his ongoing divorce settlement with Angelina Jolie, which is why he could not access his funds.

How did Anne got to know the truth?

 Despite their frequent to and fro messages, Anne never got on a call or a video call with the scammer. In the duration of their communication, she was scammed to the tune of ₹9 crore. She became aware of the reality only when she read in Western Press about Pitt's relationship with Ines de Ramon. Anne then reported the numbers to the authorities who began an investigation which uncovered the big scam.