A French woman, known publicly as Anne, suffered the distressing loss of €830,000 (approximately $850,000) after falling victim to a sophisticated scam that involved scammers posing as Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. This disturbing saga has drawn considerable attention, particularly after a prime-time programme aired on TF1, which led the network to withdraw it due to the wave of ridicule directed at Anne.
The nightmare began for Anne, 53, when she downloaded Instagram in early 2023 while married to a wealthy entrepreneur. After a message purporting to be from Pitt's mother, the alleged actor himself made contact, igniting Anne's hopes of a real relationship. The initial stages were marked by affection and communication, which included claims of luxury gifts that could not be sent due to frozen bank accounts stemming from Pitt’s alleged divorce from actress Angelina Jolie.
In her spiral into believing this deception, Anne parted with significant amounts of money, even sending €9,000 on a request related to customs fees, and later additional funds for supposed kidney cancer treatment, all supported by AI-generated images and fake narratives delivered by the scammers. Anne’s own challenging health journey — she is currently in remission from cancer — only added complexity to her emotional investment in the scam.
As her marriage deteriorated, her daughter expressed concern about the financial and emotional toll the deception was taking on Anne, but the allure of the relationship proved overwhelming. The situation took further twists when the real Brad Pitt was seen publicly with his girlfriend, escalating Anne's doubts. Scammers, anticipating her unrest, sent a deepfake news report that falsely confirmed her unique status in Pitt's life, temporarily alleviating her concerns.
Eventually, the scam’s web unraveled, leading Anne to contact law enforcement to report the fraud after additional financial demands from the impostors. While she faced severe public ridicule online for falling prey to the scam, the story has prompted discussions on the impact of AI and deepfake technology on vulnerable individuals.
Amidst the ridicule, a segment of social media users has shown solidarity with Anne. They emphasize that her experience reveals a troubling reality of how easily individuals can be manipulated by advanced technology being misused for deceit.
Anne's story serves not only as a cautionary tale to the wider public about common online scams but also as a reflection on the mental and emotional consequences of such deceit. In her own words, she expressed sorrow over her experiences, asking who "deserved to be hurt this way." Her plea for justice raises awareness about the serious repercussions of modern scams, which utilize and exploit technology in alarming new ways.
