Anne loses over CAD 1.2 million in Brad Pitt scam fueled by AI
The 53-year-old Anne, who donated approximately $1,225,000 CAD for the treatment of the supposedly seriously ill Brad Pitt, has given a new statement to the French station TF1. The broadcast report clearly explained the process of defrauding her of a significant sum of money. Meanwhile, the actor's spokesperson addressed the unauthorized use of his client's image.
Artificial intelligence, which undoubtedly assists us in many daily situations, also poses several threats. The French interior decorator experienced this harsh reality firsthand. Anne, due to her gullibility, became the focus of world media. She was convinced she was corresponding with Brad Pitt himself, who began exchanging messages with her nearly two years ago on Instagram.
Contact was supposedly initiated by the actor's mother, Jane Etta Pitt, whose fake profile was created by a group of online fraudsters. This impersonator effectively persuaded the 53-year-old to financially support her son, who, according to their story, needed funds for kidney cancer treatment. This was made believable by AI-generated photographs of the actor in a hospital bed and love declarations sent by him. Over the course of nearly 1.5 years of correspondence, Anne divorced her husband. Blinded by her feelings for the star, she transferred approximately $1,225,000 CAD to what she believed was his account, which she obtained following a division of property.
The deceived Frenchwoman revealed her story to millions of viewers
The situation became clear to Anne when, a little over half a year ago, media circulated photos of Brad Pitt with his new partner, Ines de Ramon. In an interview for TF1, she hesitantly admitted to not verifying the information she was given and acting under the spell of the tender words and confessions sent to her from what turned out to be a fake account.
I was in love with the man I was chatting to. He knew how to speak to a woman. I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this? I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell - she said on-camera, also admitting to falling into severe depression.
Anne, alongside a group of journalists working on her case, sought help from Marwan Ouarab, the owner of the site Find My Scammer, which has been assisting in tracking down cybercriminals for years. Together with his collaborators, he discovered that a group of a few young Nigerians was behind the scam. The funds paid by the 53-year-old were used to top up their cryptocurrency wallets.
It wasn't an easy task. I had to engage my entire team. We sent them a bait link hidden in a message. By clicking on it, they unknowingly gave us access to their phones - said Ouarab in a conversation with France's "20 Minutes," explaining how they discovered the perpetrators' identities.
The case was then handed over to local police. As a result of the investigation, it was found that the method of extorting money for the seriously ill Brad Pitt was used on 33 other people. Similarly, the images of other Hollywood stars, including Keanu Reeves, were shamelessly exploited.
Brad Pitt's spokesperson commented on the media commotion
The star's press office gave a statement in connection with the scandal publicized earlier this year. His representatives expressed outrage at the situation.
It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities, but this is an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence - read a statement sent to global media editors.
Brad Pitt's spokesperson also urged people to verify the authenticity of celebrities' profiles on social media, including checking for the blue tick next to the username that confirms their identity.
