A French woman lost €830,000 after falling victim to a scam involving fake communications from someone posing as Brad Pitt. Despite experiencing deep loss, she faced mockery online while calling attention to the dangers of modern digital scams.
French Woman Defrauded of €830,000 by AI Impersonation of Brad Pitt
French Woman Defrauded of €830,000 by AI Impersonation of Brad Pitt
A 53-year-old interior designer navigates a harrowing scam involving a fraudulent online relationship with a supposed Brad Pitt, leading to substantial financial loss and public ridicule.
A 53-year-old interior designer in France, Anne, has become a central figure in a cautionary tale regarding the rise of online scams fueled by artificial intelligence and deepfake technology. Believing she was in a romantic relationship with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, Anne inadvertently transferred a staggering €830,000 to scammers who expertly posed as the celebrity and his family.
The scam began in February 2023 when Anne downloaded Instagram and was contacted by someone claiming to be Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta. This was quickly followed by a message from someone impersonating Pitt himself, which Anne initially found suspicious but did not recognize the full scope of the deception. The scam escalated when the imposter claimed that he could not send her gifts due to frozen bank accounts linked to ongoing divorce proceedings with Angelina Jolie.
In a vulnerable state, especially amid her own personal challenges, Anne transferred significant sums, including €9,000 for customs and further payments purportedly for emergency medical treatment. As the requests for cash continued, Anne became emotionally entangled, believing she was helping a man in distress, even as her marriage crumbled.
Despite her experiences being televised in a TF1 program, the revelation of the situation led to widespread mockery online, prompting the broadcaster to pull the segment amidst a wave of harassment directed at Anne. Social media users, while initially derisive, were challenged by some who recognized the broader implications of such scams. An opinion piece in Libération praised her for shedding light on the dangers that many face in digital interactions exacerbated by AI.
Anne has detailed her remorse and challenges in a YouTube interview, expressing her determination to find the perpetrators behind the scam. “Why was I chosen to be hurt this way?” she lamented, revealing a sense of loss that extended beyond financial ruin to her overall identity. Living in diminished circumstances without her life savings, she seeks justice as authorities continue to investigate the scheme.
The story has sparked important discussions about the potential for technology to deceive and prey on individuals who seek connection in an increasingly digital world, raising alarms over the sophistication of online scams that can ensnare unsuspecting victims.
