A French woman was scammed out of €830,000 euros after a catfisher posed as actor Brad Pitt using AI-generated images, Newsweek reported on Tuesday.
Anne, a 53-year-old woman, first chatted with the scammer on Facebook in 2023, Newsweek quoted the French broadcast network BFM TV.
A woman in France was scammed out of €830,000 after believing she was in a relationship with Brad Pitt. These are the photos she received, allegedly from Brad Pitt, that convinced her. pic.twitter.com/DHZklWbUDj
— The Oscar Race (@TheOscarRace) January 13, 2025
Initially, Anne believed she was talking to Brad Pitt’s mother, with later text messages claiming to be from ‘Pitt’ himself, Newsweek reported.
At the start of the scheme, Anne was married to a millionaire, who she later divorced after the scammer asked her to marry him.
AI images
In the messages, the scammer claimed to be sick with cancer, using AI-generated pictures of Pitt lying in a hospital bed, according to pictures shared on X/Twitter that have received over 18 million views.
The scammer said he needed money for medical treatment but couldn't use his own money since he was going through his own divorce with actress Angelina Jolie, Newsweek added.
Anne reportedly sent the scammer over €830,000 euros with money she received from the divorce settlement.
According to Newsweek, the woman eventually realized she was scammed when she saw a picture of the real Brad Pitt with his current girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.