A woman who was devastatingly scammed out of $850,000 by a fake Brad Pitt has provided a heartbreaking update, as per recent reports.
The French woman, known as Anne in the media, revealed that she had been conned out of thousands of euros for what she believed was to pay for the Pitt’s ‘cancer treatment’.
The interior designer was first approached by who she thought was Pitt when an Instagram account messaged her in February 2023 claiming to be the star’s mother, BFM TV reports.
Following that, the person messaged once more – but this time, claiming to be the well-known actor himself.
Anne said she was ‘flabbergasted’ by the message, telling TF1: “In fact, we’re talking about Brad Pitt, I’m falling from the clouds. At first, I tell myself it’s fake, but I don’t really understand what’s happening to me. After that, we will contact each other every day and we become friends.
“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.”
The pair then began a relationship and the person behind the account later proposed marriage to Anne – but it was all a hoax.
The fake account, which Anne believed to be Pitt, claimed they couldn’t afford ‘cancer treatment’ due to the divorce proceedings between Pitt and ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
To make it more believable, the account Anne AI-generated images of him in hospital – with one showing him holding a sign saying ‘Anne, I love you’.
After being promised luxury gifts, Anne sent over the money and it was until summer 2024 that the situation dawned on Anne that the individual behind the account was not Pitt after she saw pictures of the actor with his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.
Anne’s lawyer, Laurène Hanna, has since confirmed her client is trying to retrieve the money and has been left homeless as a result.
“Love scams on the internet are not new,” the lawyer said. ” Anne is really not the only one. What my client needs is to be given some sensible advice and to be treated with dignity.”
After the story went viral, Pitt’s representatives have since issued a statement.
Speaking to The Independent, they said: “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 are not present on social networks.”
