A French interior designer lost nearly £700,000 in a year-long romance scam involving fake AI-generated images of actor Brad Pitt, fake cancer claims, and promises of love. The woman, identified as Anne, 53, also divorced her husband under the influence of the scammer.
The scam began in February 2023 when Anne received an Instagram message from someone claiming to be Brad Pitt’s mother. The next day, the alleged “Brad Pitt” messaged her, writing, “My mother has spoken a lot about you already.”
What followed was a year-long online relationship. The scammer sent daily texts, romantic poems, and AI-generated photos and videos to Anne, convincing her of his identity.
Anne, who was reportedly in a strained marriage, was swept off her feet. “There are so few men who write you this kind of thing,” she told French media.
Anne divorced her husband, securing a £670,000 (€775,000) settlement, which she began wiring to the scammer. Payments included:
– £7,566 for “customs fees” on luxury gifts.
– £50,500 for “cancer treatment,” with fake doctors emailing updates about the scammer’s health.
The scammer claimed he was unable to access his own funds due to his ongoing divorce from actress Angelina Jolie.
“I thought I might be saving a man’s life,” Anne told *The Telegraph*.
Anne’s daughter warned her she might be a victim of fraud, but Anne dismissed the concern, insisting the man would prove his authenticity in person. The scam unraveled in the summer of 2024 when Anne saw photos of the real Brad Pitt with his girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.
Despite this, the scammer persisted, sending fake “news flashes” alleging Pitt was secretly dating “a special person.” Adding to the cruelty, an impersonator claiming to be an FBI agent offered to help Anne recover her money for an additional £4,200.
Now destitute, Anne has sold her belongings, moved in with a friend, and launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay her legal fees. After three suicide attempts, she is undergoing treatment for severe depression in a specialized clinic, according to *BFMTV*.
Anne has filed a formal complaint, and French authorities have launched an investigation.
This case is not unique. In 2023, five individuals in Spain were arrested for defrauding two women out of €325,000 using fake online romances, also involving Brad Pitt’s identity.
