A scammer who deceived a woman into sending $850,000 using fake Brad Pitt photos has been found, now impersonating another A-list celebrity.
A scammer who posed as actor Brad Pitt has been caught after tricking a woman out of nearly $850,000.
This fraud took place over more than a year and involved fake messages and AI-generated images of the star.
The scammer has now moved on to pretending to be another famous actor, Keanu Reeves.
A scammer fakes Brad Pitt and approaches a woman
The victim, a 53-year-old interior designer named Anne, fell for the scam after receiving a message on Instagram.
Someone claiming to be Brad Pitt’s mother contacted her, saying that Brad needed someone like her.
Soon after, “Brad” sent messages filled with romantic poems and promises of gifts.
Anne, who was having difficulties in her marriage, quickly became infatuated.
She divorced her husband and received a large financial settlement, which she began wiring to the scammer.
The scam escalated when Anne was convinced to pay for a fake cancer treatment for the actor.
She sent over $9,000 for “customs fees” related to non-existent gifts and then transferred over $60,000 for the supposed cancer care.
The scammer used AI-generated images of Brad in a hospital bed to manipulate Anne’s emotions.
To further deceive her, the scammer even created fake doctor emails claiming that Brad was “fighting to survive.”
Anne was told that he could not access his money because of a divorce from Angelina Jolie.
The woman lost $850K to scammer who faked Brad Pitt
Anne’s realization came when she saw real photos of Brad Pitt with his girlfriend.
By that time, she had already sent nearly $850,000 to the scammer.
The fraud continued, as the scammer sent fake news stories claiming that Pitt was dating someone else, trying to keep Anne engaged.
In a final twist, someone pretending to be an FBI agent approached Anne, offering to rescue her from the scam for an additional payment of $5,200.
The emotional toll on Anne has been severe.
She lost her marriage and her savings, and her mental health suffered greatly.
After the truth came out, she became homeless and was left battling severe depression.
Anne’s story gained attention when it aired on a French television program, but the backlash led to the show pulling the segment.
The network claimed that Anne needed protection after facing online mockery.
The search for the scammer
Marwan Ouarab, the founder of Find My Scammer, played a crucial role in tracking down the fraudster.
“It wasn’t easy, but we found him,” said Marwan Ouarab.
He used a booby-trapped link to access the scammer’s phone, identifying him and confirming that he operated from Nigeria.
Ouarab discovered that the scammer was part of a small group of individuals involved in similar schemes.
“It’s a small group of three or four young people,”
Despite sharing the findings with Nigerian authorities and Interpol, Ouarab expressed doubt that any action would be taken.
He warned that the scammer might remain at large, continuing to exploit vulnerable individuals.
The fake Brad Pitt now pretends to be another celebrity.
Now, the scammer has moved on to impersonate Keanu Reeves.
“He’s still active, now pretending to be Keanu Reeves.”
“The justice system there rarely moves,” Marwan Ouarab said.
This new identity raises concerns about how many more victims he might target in the future.
The actor’s representatives have been alerted, but it remains to be seen how effective these warnings will be.
Brad Pitt speaks out about the scam
Brad Pitt’s team has previously issued warnings about scams using his name.
They have urged fans to be cautious of unsolicited messages from individuals posing as the actor, emphasizing that he does not have personal social media accounts.
The team has highlighted the need for fans to stay vigilant against such scams.