Woman, 53, ‘duped into thinking she was dating Brad Pitt with AI images’ sent £697,000 to scammers
14 January 2025, 13:27 | Updated: 17 January 2025, 09:13
A French woman has been duped out of £697,000 after an AI scammer posing as Brad Pitt convinced her the funds were needed to fund the star's cancer treatment.
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The 53-year-old woman, Anne, handed over €830,000 euros (£697,000) after striking up a relationship over social media by a fraudster posing as the star who wooed her with poems and promises of lavish gifts.
Anne, who was reported going through a difficult divorce with her millionaire husband at the time, claimed the relationship began in February 2023 after posting photos of a luxury ski trip.
It's claimed a woman posing as Pitt's mother struck up conversation with her over Instagram soon after the images were published, with an account posing as Pitt messaging her 24 hours later, saying he had heard stories of her from his mother.
"There are so few men who write you this kind of thing. I liked the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women, it was always very well done," she said, as reported by BFMTV.
Anne admitted she had suspicions after 'Brad' got in contact, with concerns the account was, in fact, fake.
However, after exchanging messages every day, her worries were slowly calmed, with the two striking up a touching relationship, with fake Brad promising her lavish gifts and a shoulder to cry on amid her divorce.
Read more: Kate keeps promise in emotional return to hospital where she had cancer treatment
The scammer then dropped a bombshell, revealing 'Brad's' secret and debilitating battle with kidney cancer.
Anne regularly received AI generated photos and videos of the star from his hospital bed, with images including Pitt apparently unconscious while undergoing surgery.
Speaking with TF1 about her ordeal, she tearfully recalled about being scammed out of thousands of euros over the course of the fake relationship.
An emotional rollercoaster saw fake Brad quickly propose to Anne as the two communicated by text and with photos.
Images of Pitt photoshopped into a hospital bed were sent to the victim, with a number of shots from the star's 'hospital room' accompanied by messages including 'I love you so much my wife'.
She claims to have felt overwhelmed with the offerings, with the only alarm bells being when images of Pitt began appearing in the press with a new girlfriend - that was not Anne.
Anne said her fiance was never free for a call, which raised further suspicions.
Over the course of the deception, Anne lost close to one million euros - with the financial concerns finally leading her to contact the police over her concerns.
French police soon launched an investigation.
Taking to X, a number of social media users who followed the case revealed their thoughts on the matter.
One user wrote: "It’s sad how lonely and lost older people get. To where they are so delusional and do this."
Another commented: "Why you need to know what your old folks are up to before they give away your inheritance to Brad Pitt".
It is not known whether Anne managed to retrieve any of the stolen money, with BFMTV reporting that Anne is currently hospitalised in a private clinic as she continues to suffer from severe depression.
