A French woman identified as Anne has been defrauded of €830,000 by individuals impersonating Brad Pitt, the US actor.

Advertisement

In an interview on Sept à Huit, a TF1 television programme, the 53-year-old interior designer recounted how a man pretending to be Pitt conned her out of the hefty sum.

Anne said the scam began in February 2023 when she was still married to a wealthy businessman.

The interior designer said around that same time, she downloaded and signed up on Instagram during her holiday in Tignes.

Advertisement

She said she was contacted by an account claiming to belong to Jane Etta Pitt, the actor’s mother.

Shortly after, a message purportedly from Pitt’s account followed, reading: “My mother told me a lot about you”.

“I was flabbergasted. At first, I thought it was fake but as someone who isn’t very used to social media, I didn’t really know what was happening to me,” Anne said.

Advertisement

“He knew how to talk to women, it was always very well written. I liked the man I was talking to.”

Anne said the actor’s impersonator sends her poems, artificial intelligence (AI)-generated videos and photos, and fake WhatsApp accounts to reassure her.

She said the con artist first requested €9,000, claiming it was to cover customs fees for the luxury gifts he wanted to send her.

However, the demands escalated when Anne disclosed her recent divorce settlement of €775,000 from her wealthy ex-husband.

Advertisement

Anne said the fraudster claimed he needed funds for kidney cancer treatment and blamed his inability to access his accounts on a supposed financial freeze related to his divorce from Angelina Jolie.

She said she received several AI-generated images of Pitt in a hospital bed.

“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.

“It hurts me to do it, but I tell myself that I might save a man’s life.”

Advertisement

Anne realised the deception last summer when she saw reports about the real Pitt and his new girlfriend Ines de Ramon.

The TF1 programme said the events left Anne hospitalised for severe depression, adding that she attempted to end her life several times.

The interview has also been withdrawn after Anne faced a barrage of online harassment and ridicule.

‘THE SCAMMER IS IN NIGERIA’

Advertisement

Marwan Ouarab, founder of Find My Scammer, is reportedly assisting Anne in tracking the fraudsters.

According to 20 Minutes on Friday, Ouarab Ouarab tricked Pitt’s impostor into clicking a “booby-trapped link,” which granted access to their phone.

Ouarab said his team was able to uncover the identity of the scammer, as well as the address of where he carries out his scams in Nigeria.

He said the scammer “is still active, except that he is now pretending to be Keanu Reeves, another A-list celebrity, to target new victims”.

“It’s a small group of three or four fairly young people who are causing damage. On the fake Brad Pitt’s device alone, we counted 34 victims,” Ouarab was quoted as saying.

Ouarab said he contacted Nigerian authorities and promised to share all gathered evidence.

PITT’S RESPONSE TO THE SCAM

In a statement, Pitt’s spokesperson 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”.



Copyright 2025 TheCable. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from TheCable.

Follow us on twitter @Thecablestyle