Brad Pitt Responds Perfectly to Woman Scammed Out of $850,000

Brad Pitt Responds Perfectly to Woman Scammed Out of $850,000.

A French woman was convinced that she was engaged in an online relationship with the celebrity.

Brad Pitt's spokesperson has released a statement following an incident in which a scammer deceived a French woman, extracting $850,000 by impersonating the Hollywood actor.

"It's awful that scammers take advantage of the strong bond between fans and celebrities," the statement to E! News read, urging people to be safe online in the new era of AI.

"This is an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online messages, especially from actors who are not present on social networks."

Upon joining Instagram, Anne received a message from an account purporting to be the mother of a well-known actor. This individual informed her that her "son" required a kidney transplant and was seeking financial support.

You may wonder why a prominent and wealthy figure like Brad Pitt would require funds to be sent to him. The scammer asserted that he was unable to access his financial accounts due to his ongoing divorce from Angelina Jolie.

Not long after, a fraudulent account claiming to be Brad reached out to Anne, initiating a year-long online relationship that the French woman believed had the potential for a lasting connection.

The impersonator of Brad would disseminate AI-generated and deepfake images depicting the actor in a hospital setting to enhance his credibility, asserting that he was receiving treatment for cancer and required financial support.

She even abandoned her affluent spouse for what she believed to be the Bullet Train actor, until she encountered photographs of the genuine Brad socializing with his girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.

The representative for the Oscar-winning actor has since released a statement cautioning the public about scammers and encouraging individuals to exercise caution online in this new age of artificial intelligence.

The father of six lacks any verified social media profiles.

Anne has faced criticism online following the revelation of the AI-generated images presented to her by the scammer. Nevertheless, she has responded in interviews, clarifying how she was misled so effortlessly.

"I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" she said on the French TV show Sept à huit. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell."

"As someone who isn't very used to social media, I didn't really know what was happening to me," she continued.

"Like a fool, I paid. Every time I doubted him, he managed to dissipate my doubts."

"I looked those photos up on the internet but couldn't find them, so I thought that meant he had taken those selfies just for me," she said.

Anne's experience highlights a broader phenomenon where individuals are increasingly susceptible to AI and deepfake scams, which are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from genuine content.

In January, Johnny Depp, known for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean, published an extensive message cautioning his fans about fraudulent accounts and emphasizing the significance of vigilance.

"Sadly, it has been brought to my attention that online scammers are intensifying their efforts to target my fans and supporters," he wrote in the Instagram post.

"As part of their tactics, they create multiple deceptive social media and email accounts impersonating me and members of my team."

He continued: "Today, AI can create the illusion of my face and voice. Scammers may look and sound just like the real me. But, neither I, nor my team, will ask you for money or your personal information. We are actively working to combat these illicit schemes."

Following the incident, Anne has depleted her life savings and has allegedly undergone a mental health crisis.

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This distressing incident highlights the devastating impact of online scams, particularly as AI technology makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish between reality and deception. The French woman, who was manipulated into believing she was in a genuine relationship with Brad Pitt, has suffered significant emotional and financial loss.

Her trust was exploited, leaving her with depleted savings and a deep sense of betrayal. While the public's awareness of such scams grows, the emotional toll on victims like her remains profound. It serves as a somber reminder of the vulnerabilities we face in the digital age.