Brad Pitt Reacts To “Awful” Scammers Who Conned French Woman Out Of $850,000 Using His Pictures

deadline.com:

A spokesperson for Brad Pitt has responded to viral reports that a 53-year-old French woman was scammed out of $850,000 by online fraudsters who impersonated the Oscar-winner.  “It’s awful that scammers take advantage of the strong bond between fans and celebrities,” the spokesperson said in a statement obtained by E News. “But this is an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence.” The viral story first emerged last Sunday on the current affairs show Sept à huit on the French TF1 network.

The 53-year-old, named Anne, told Sept à huit that the elaborate scam began in September 2023 when she received a message on Instagram from someone who claimed to be Pitt’s mother.

Anne told the show that Pitt’s mother quickly played matchmaker and connected her with the actor. The scammers used fake social media accounts and AI-generated selfies to appear as Pitt in correspondence with Anne.

Anne spent over a year communicating with the scammers, according to a France 24 report. Eventually, the fraudsters – still impersonating Pitt – told Anne that the actor needed urgent surgery to treat kidney cancer.