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French Woman Loses €830,000 to AI 'Brad Pitt' Scam, Divorces Husband

Jan 14, 2025, 03:42 PM

A 53-year-old French interior designer named Anne was defrauded of €830,000 by a scammer posing as actor Brad Pitt using AI-generated images and videos. The scam began in 2023 when Anne was contacted on Instagram by someone claiming to be Brad Pitt's mother, suggesting that her son needed someone like her. The fraudster convinced Anne she was in a relationship with the Hollywood star, leading her to divorce her millionaire husband. The scammer claimed his accounts were frozen due to his divorce proceedings with Angelina Jolie and requested funds for his kidney cancer treatment. Over time, Anne transferred €830,000 to the scammer. After her story aired on the TF1 program "Sept à Huit," Anne faced widespread cyber-harassment, leading the broadcaster to remove the segment from replay. She is currently hospitalized for severe depression. The case highlights the growing sophistication of online scams utilizing artificial intelligence technology.