A French woman named Anne, a 53-year-old interior designer, has lost €830,000 in a scam involving a fake AI-generated impersonation of Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.
The con artist convinced Anne to part with her money by claiming he needed funds for cancer treatment and legal issues arising from his divorce from Angelina Jolie.
Anne, who had recently divorced her husband and received a €775,000 settlement, believed she was in a romantic relationship with the actor and was even expecting marriage. Speaking to French documentary show Sept à huit, she shared, “I loved the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women, and it was always very well put together.”
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The deception started in February 2023 when Anne posted vacation photos on Instagram. She was contacted by someone claiming to be Jane Etta Pitt, Brad Pitt’s mother, who told her, “My son needs a woman like you.” Shortly after, a person posing as Brad Pitt messaged Anne, initiating a relationship that grew into daily interactions.
Despite her initial doubts, Anne was persuaded by AI-generated photos, videos, and fake documents, including a passport, which she believed proved the man’s identity. “I thought he had taken these photos for me,” she said.
Over 18 months, the scam intensified. The fake Brad Pitt sent love poems and proposed marriage. He claimed his bank accounts were frozen due to a legal battle with Jolie and asked Anne for financial help. Believing his story, Anne transferred €60,000 for his alleged cancer treatment. “It cost me to do it, but I thought that I might be saving a man’s life,” she admitted.
When the scammer claimed to have sent her luxury gifts requiring €9,000 in customs duties, Anne complied. Even as friends and family raised concerns, Anne remained convinced of the relationship’s authenticity.
Anne’s doubts surfaced in the summer of 2024 after seeing photos of the real Brad Pitt with his new girlfriend, Inès de Ramon. However, the scammers tried to dismiss the reports by sending her a fake news flash claiming Brad was in a relationship with “a very special person.”
The con escalated further when someone impersonating an FBI agent contacted Anne, offering to resolve the situation for €5,000. She paid, leaving her in financial ruin. By this point, Anne had sold her furniture and moved in with a friend.
Emotionally and financially devastated, Anne attempted suicide three times before being admitted to a clinic for depression. She has since filed a fraud complaint and launched an online crowdfunding campaign to cover her legal expenses.
This case echoes a similar scam in Spain, where five individuals were arrested for defrauding two women out of €325,000 using fake online relationships with Brad Pitt.
Anne’s ordeal is a sobering reminder of the dangers of online scams. “It’s not just the financial loss,” she said. “They stole my trust and my belief in love.”
