PanamaTimes

Wednesday, Mar 12, 2025

French Woman Duped in Celebrity Impersonation Scam, Losing €830,000

French Woman Duped in Celebrity Impersonation Scam, Losing €830,000

An instance of online trickery underscores the risks posed by digital scams that involve impersonating celebrities and using AI-generated content.
In a notable example of the complexity of online scams, a 53-year-old French woman named Anne was swindled out of about €830,000 after being led to believe she was in a romantic relationship with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.

This intricate scam unfolded over several months, highlighting the increasing global challenge of tackling cyber fraud.

The Deceptive Start
The scam began in September 2023 when Anne was contacted via Instagram by someone pretending to be Brad Pitt's mother, Jane Etta Pitt.

The impersonator suggested that Anne was the ideal partner for her 'son,' leading to direct communication with an individual claiming to be Pitt.

The communications escalated rapidly, with the fraudster sending romantic poems and AI-generated images resembling the actor.

Unaware of the complexities of social media, Anne was drawn further into the deception, which developed into a daily exchange.

Financial Manipulation
As trust was established, the impostor concocted distressing stories to request money.

Initially, Anne was informed of luxury gifts supposedly sent to her that required €9,000 in customs fees.

Subsequently, a more urgent request followed: the fraudster claimed to need €775,000 for a life-saving kidney cancer treatment, citing frozen accounts due to a claimed divorce from Angelina Jolie.

Anne, recently divorced and possessing a significant financial settlement, transferred nearly all her funds, believing she was assisting the actor in a desperate situation.

The Realization
By the summer of 2024, Anne began to suspect something was amiss when she read news reports of Brad Pitt's confirmed relationship with Ines de Ramon.

Confronted with this information, Anne realized the deception and reported the scam to French authorities.

The financial and emotional impact was overwhelming, leading to three suicide attempts and hospitalization for severe depression.

Legal proceedings have been initiated, and a police investigation continues.

A Wider Phenomenon
Anne's experience is not an isolated case.

In a related incident, Spanish authorities arrested five individuals in September 2024 for impersonating Brad Pitt and cheating two women out of €325,000.

These fraudsters carefully examined their victims’ social media profiles to exploit weaknesses, crafting elaborate romantic tales to extract substantial funds.

The growing number of such schemes points to a concerning trend in cybercrime, with scammers using AI-generated content to make their deceit more convincing.

Preventative Measures
In response to this incident, Brad Pitt's representatives emphasized that the actor does not have personal social media accounts.

They advised fans to remain wary and skeptical of unsolicited messages from those claiming to be public figures.
Comments

Oh ya 56 days ago
A fool and his /her money are soon parted.

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Mark Carney Selected as Leader of Canada's Liberal Party, Poised to Assume the Role of Prime Minister
Pope Francis Displays Signs of Recovery, Yet His Hospitalization Persists.
Trump Administration Unveils Self-Deportation App for Undocumented Immigrants
Trump Administration Plans New Travel Ban Including Afghanistan and Pakistan
Global Scam Syndicate Capitalizes on Fraudulent Celebrity Advertisements to Deceive Thousands
Devastating Passing of 20-Year-Old American Bodybuilder Sparks Health Worries
Microsoft to Sunset Skype in May, Prioritizing Teams as Communication Evolves
Katy Perry Set to Join All-Female Crew for Blue Origin Flight
Apple Resolves iPhone Dictation Bug That Linked 'Racist' to 'Trump'
Proposal Introduced for $250 Bill Featuring Donald Trump
Research Examines Possible Connection Between COVID-19 Vaccines and Post-Vaccination Syndrome
Latin America News Update: Gatherings, Legal Conflicts, and Economic Developments
Vatican Declares Pope Francis' Health Status as 'Critical'
Mexico Suggests Constitutional Amendments to Protect Sovereignty Following U.S. Terrorist Labels on Cartels
Tequila Sector Faces Oversupply Challenge as Agave Prices Fall Sharply
Pope Francis Continues His Hospital Stay While Doctors Treat Complicated Infection
AI Giants Contest Nvidia's Supremacy with Emerging Chip Innovations
California's CalExit Movement Grows Momentum Amid Political and Economic Discourse in the State
Trump Asserts BRICS 'Is Finished' In Light of Tariff Threats
CPJ Report Indicates Highest Number of Journalists Killed in 2024
Climate change presents considerable threats to worldwide cocoa production.
Apple Releases Critical Security Update Following Vulnerability Reports
Justin Bieber Sparks Concern as New Footage Raises Health Fears
Trump Administration Directs Admiral to Leave Official Residence in Three Hours
US Confiscates Second Aircraft Associated with Maduro's Government
The Trump administration is considering El Salvador's proposal to accommodate U.S. prisoners.
Trump Wins Again as Canada Agrees to Strengthen Border Security
Wall Street Journal Criticizes Trump's Trade War with Canada and Mexico
Trump Freezes Tariffs on Mexico After Agreement on Border Security
Nearly 96% of New Cars Registered in Norway in January Were Electric
Marco Rubio Urges Panama to Limit Chinese Influence Amid Canal Dispute
Apple Surpasses Revenue and Earnings Expectations, But iPhone Sales Disappoint
Bill Gates Reflects on Past Mistakes and Acknowledges Yuval Noah Harari's Insight
Trump Imposes Emergency Tariffs on Colombia Following Immigration Dispute
Musk and X Intensify Legal Battle Over Advertising Boycott, Suing Nestlé, LEGO, and Shell
Trump: Canada Should Become the 51st U.S. State
U.S. President Trump Asserts Intent to Reclaim Panama Canal Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
Panama Rules Out Negotiations With US Over Control of Canal
The 'Chinese Pearl Harbor' on U.S. Tech: DeepSeek's Launch Triggers Market Collapse
Key Takeaways from the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos
The Trump Era 2: A Time of Dramatic and Profound Change
Five Billionaires on Track to Break One Trillion Dollar Wealth Barrier
Bill Ackman Praises Social Media Platform X as 'The New Media'
California Wildfires Set to Become Costliest in U.S. History
Chief Justice Roberts Warns Against Threats to Judicial Independence
Generation Z Faces Scrutiny Over Workplace Readiness
Democrats Call on Biden to Protect Controversial Temporary Protected Status Program
Trinidad and Tobago Declares State of Emergency as Murder Rates Surge
Migrant Children Abandoned at U.S.-Mexico Border
The Closure of the Global Engagement Center: Controversy, Claims, and Conclusions
×