A 53-year-old woman named Anne was the victim of a fraud that cost her 830,000 euros, after believing she was having a romance with famous actor Brad Pitt. The story was reported on the French program “Sept à huit” on TF1 on the evening of Sunday, January 12th. Find out more about fraud in this article.
It all started in February 2023, when Anne, an interior decorator, was on a ski holiday in Tignes. While sharing photos of her trip on Instagram, she was contacted by an account purporting to be that of Jane Etta Pitt, Brad Pitt’s mother. The next day, another account, claiming to be associated with the actor, contacted her, stating that her mother had told him a lot about her.
“When I realized I was talking to Brad Pitt, I was in shock. At first I thought it was a hoax, but I didn’t really know what was going on. Then we started talking every day and became friends,” said Anne.
Over the next few weeks, fake Brad Pitt and Anne began messaging each other regularly, which evolved into a close and emotional relationship. At the time, Anne was married to an older man, but her marriage was in crisis. The fake Brad Pitt sent her poems and declarations of love, which made her feel deeply involved. “There are so few men who write this kind of thing. I liked the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women, always with very well chosen words”, revealed Anne.
Although they never spoke on the phone, the scammer sent him a video, supposedly of Brad Pitt, that had actually been created with artificial intelligence. This apparently reassured Anne. Shortly after, the fake actor proposed to her, as our source reveals, .
It was at this point that the scammer began asking Anne for money, claiming that she had purchased luxury gifts from brands such as Chanel and Hermès and needed help paying customs fees. Anne paid 9,000 euros, but never received the promised gifts.
The situation worsened when Anne decided to divorce her husband and received compensation of 775,000 euros. She shared this information with the fake Brad Pitt, who told her that her own funds were blocked due to her divorce with Angelina Jolie and asked her to send the amount to pay for urgent medical treatment.
“It was hard for me to do it, but I thought maybe I could save a man’s life,” said Anne. The scammer also sent him images of Brad Pitt, generated by artificial intelligence, showing him apparently admitted to a hospital. It was only months later, seeing the real Brad Pitt in celebrity magazines with a new partner, that Anne realized she had been tricked. In July 2024, she filed a complaint with the police, and an investigation was launched. Anne is currently admitted to a clinic specializing in severe depression.
This case is not unique. In September 2024, five people were arrested in Spain for deceiving two vulnerable women, from whom they extorted 325,000 euros, posing as Brad Pitt through social networks and WhatsApp messages. This type of fraud, which has been increasing, worries the authorities, mainly due to the vulnerability of people in moments of emotional fragility. The investigation into Anne’s case is ongoing, and authorities are trying to identify those responsible for this million-dollar fraud.
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