Brangelina scam saga: French victim loses $875k to fake Brad Pitt
Images generated by artificial intelligence showing Brad Pitt in a hospital are circulating online. In these images, he appears to be ill but in love with a French woman who was scammed out of over $875,000. There's more to this story.
A few days ago, we reported on a French citizen named Anne who fell victim to an internet scam where someone pretended to be Brad Pitt. This led her to fall in love and eventually convinced her to send thousands of euros. In total, Anne lost $875,000, thinking she was aiding Brad Pitt with his cancer treatment and his disputes with Angelina Jolie. Awaiting her divorce, Anne agreed to help, believing in the authenticity of the situation. The scammer even sent photos from a "hospital" to legitimize his requests. Today, these photos can be seen online because Anne appeared for the first time on the French station TF1 and shared her story with the media. But that's not the end of it.
Scammers posing as Brad Pitt now impersonate Keanu Reeves
Journalists from TF1 and the victim sought assistance from Marwan Ouarab, the founder of the "Find My Scammer" website. Ouarab has spent years helping individuals targeted by scams similar to Anne's case. Together, they worked to uncover the true identity of the person posing as "Brad Pitt." In an interview with the French outlet 20 Minutes, Ouarab noted that the investigation was challenging and required the involvement of his entire team.
The scammer was outsmarted with his tactics. Ouarab's team sent the man a link embedded with tracking software. Unknowingly, he shared all the contents of his phone. Thanks to this, the "Find My Scammer" service gathered extensive information about the scammer, including his exact location. The source of the scam is traced to Nigeria.
It was determined that a group of 3-4 young people was behind these crimes. Anne and 34 other individuals fell for the deceptive, fake Brad Pitt. The money sent by Anne was transferred to cryptocurrency wallets. Although the case has been handed over to Nigerian authorities, the scammers remain active. According to an expert, they are now impersonating Keanu Reeves. Marwan Ouarab says the case is complex because it is uncertain whether Nigerian authorities will act. Specialists might be able to recover the funds illegally, but this could lead to further complications for Anne and them.
A spokesperson for Brad Pitt told the media, "It’s awful that scammers take advantage of the strong bond between fans and celebrities. This is an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online messages, especially from actors who have are not present on social networks."
