A happy relationship with a woman who was thought to be Hollywood's hunk Brad Pitt quickly turned into a living nightmare.
On January 12, the French television channel TF1 aired an episode of the program “Sept à Huit”. The show tells the story of a 53-year-old interior designer named Anne, who revealed that she lost 830,000 euros (approximately $850,000). Because I thought I was sending money to Pitt who had cancer.
Through forged documents, images and artificial intelligence, Anne believed she had been able to converse with and eventually form a relationship with the 61-year-old actor.
What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
A woman was contacted on Instagram by someone claiming to be Brad Pitt, leading her to believe that she was dating him. (Stefan Cardinale/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Reportedly, in February 2023, Pitt's 85-year-old mother, Jane Etta Pitt, contacted her on Instagram, to which Anne replied, “What my son needs is a woman like you.'' '' message he received. BFM TV And the Sunday Times.
“At first I told myself it was fake, it was ridiculous,” Anne said. According to AFP. “But I'm new to social media, so I didn't really understand what was happening to me.” Ann was skeptical, though, before receiving a message from the person alleged to be Pitt. The conversation continued.
“My mother has told me so much about you,” the scammer wrote.
Anne was initially drawn into the scheme by someone posing as Brad Pitt's mother Jane. Jane and her son at the 2012 Academy Awards. (Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)
Anne was bombarded with countless romantic messages, poems and doctored photos. The operation was multifaceted, with some posing as Pitt's manager and Shiloh, Pitt's daughter with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, to aid in the scam. After eight years of legal battles, Pitt and Jolie were declared legally single in 2019 and reached a divorce settlement in 2024.
“What makes these scams especially dangerous is their multi-layered approach,” Marva Baylor, AI expert and founder and CEO of Qualaix, told FOX News Digital. . “Scammers build trust over time and often impersonate family members, staff, or even someone close to the celebrity, claiming to be helping the celebrity by managing their charity work. This indirect This approach makes the scam seem more believable: it's not a celebrity directly asking for help, but someone in a more empathetic or “down-to-earth” position. This is based on the idea that celebrities are too proud or too private to ask for help themselves, making the situation seem more authentic. ”
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie completed their divorce settlement in 2024. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)
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Anne was having trouble communicating visually with the actors, so the scammer encouraged her to send the AI-curated videos. The conversation turned to money when Anne was told she would have to pay more than €9,000 in customs duties to receive a lavish gift from someone pretending to be Pitt.
Ann, who was recently divorced, told the scammer that she had received a hefty divorce settlement of €775,000. After this hospitalization, the Pitt impersonator told Anne that he had kidney cancer and was struggling to pay for his treatment as divorce proceedings with Jolie continued. Anne sent most of her divorce settlement money to False Pitt.
Pitt allegedly sent Ann throughout her treatment. A series of manipulated photos This work depicts what happened when he was hospitalized and receiving treatment. In one photo, Pitt is seen lying in a hospital bed holding a card that reads, “Anne, I love you.”
A doctored photo of Brad Pitt was sent to Anne. An AI-generated video of the pit was also sent. (Axel/Bauer Griffin)
Anne, a social media novice, was suspicious many times and resorted to blocking the scammer's number many times, but eventually gave in to her emotions and resumed communication. After first reading reports that Pitt was having an affair with businessman Ines de Ramon, a fake TV report was sent to her to allay her fears, which revealed that the couple was not dating. Ta.
When photos of the couple were published in the summer, Anne knew it was all a scam and decided to take legal action. This story was eventually retracted by TF1 as she began to experience extreme ridicule. The network issued a statement saying it decided to remove the story from its platform after its initial broadcast “triggered a wave of harassment” against the victim.
Brad Pitt and girlfriend Ines de Ramon are pictured together at the British Formula 1 Grand Prix. (Kim Ilman/Getty Images)
A representative for Pitt said: Eh! news On January 15, he said the situation surrounding Anne was “terrible”.
“It's terrible when scammers take advantage of the strong connections between fans and celebrities,” the rep said, “but this is a great way to avoid responding to unsolicited online activity, especially from actors who don't have a presence on social media.” This is an important reminder to ensure that we do so.”
Pitt does not have verified social media platforms. A representative for the actor did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Baylor echoed these sentiments, sharing that the easy access to images of celebrities puts people at risk, adding, “Access to a celebrity's public persona and online presence can lead to fake social media.'' “They may create media accounts or send very convincing emails or messages that appear to be the same.” Because they come directly from celebrities and their teams, fans who want to be part of something exclusive can easily be misled into thinking they're engaging with someone they trust. ”
Brad Pitt has no verified social media platforms. (Pascal Le Segretin/Getty Images, Lexus)
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Luke Arrigoni, CEO of Loti AI, a company specializing in facial recognition and deepfake detection, told Fox News Digital that scams like this one involving Pitt's likeness are “increasingly common.” spoke.
“Everyone who interacts with these fraudulent accounts should be aware that this explains why scammers often have to hide their relationships. These are all red flags. But the biggest red flag is: It's all about money.”
“This type of fraud is rampant, and deepfakes created using artificial intelligence are constantly being improved,” Rob Rosenberg, who runs the consulting firm Telluride Legal Strategies, told Fox News Digital. told. “Unless you are part of a celebrity circle, you should be wary of communications sent by celebrities. They are more likely to be fraudulent than genuine.”
Brad Pitt's representative condemned the actions of the scammers. (Pascal Le Segretin/Getty Images)
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