AI-Generated Brad Pitt Scam Costs Woman $855,000, Sparks Online Harassment

Mockery of woman conned out of $855K by AI-generated Brad Pitt leads TV channel to pull interview

Brad Pitt during the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 1, 2024.Annalisa Ranzoni / Getty Images A French woman who thought she was in a romantic relationship with Hollywood star Brad Pitt handed over 830,000 euros ($855,000) to scammers as part of an elaborate, yearlong con that involved an AI-generated version of the "Moneyball" actor. To add insult to injury, when she discussed her misfortune on the French television channel TF1, the 53-year-old interior designer known only as "Anne" was hit with a wave of mockery and trolling so bad that the station had to pull her interview with its "Seven to Eight" show. "The story broadcast this Sunday has resulted in a wave of harassment against the witness," TF1 presenter Harry Roselmack posted on his X account Tuesday. "For the protection of victims, we have decided to withdraw it from our platforms." Anne said she began talking to the fake version of the "Fight Club" actor sometime in February 2023, after an account posing as Pitt's mother, Jane Etta Pitt, sent her a message on Instagram while she was on a skiing holiday in the French Alps. Speaking on TF1, Anne said that the account "told me that her son needed someone like me," according to AFP. Over the next few months, she exchanged several messages on different social media and messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, with the fake Pitt, even receiving AI-generated selfies of the 61-year-old actor, whose facsimile told her he needed money for cancer treatment. "At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it's ridiculous," she said. "But I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me." The request for money came after the scammers told Anne that Pitt was in the hospital with kidney cancer and needed money for the treatment, but that his bank accounts were allegedly frozen because of his divorce proceedings with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. She was hesitant at first, but eventually transferred the large sum of money to an account in Turkey after receiving an email from the fake star's "doctor." Anne said she finally realized she had been the victim of a scam after she saw pictures of the real Pitt with his current partner, Inès de Ramon, last summer. "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" she said. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." The French newspaper Sud Ouest reported that Anne was going through divorce proceedings with a millionaire entrepreneur at the time. She reportedly suffered from severe depression and was hospitalized following the scam. Police are now investigating the con, but the interview has nevertheless sparked a deluge of jokes online. Among the individuals, organizations and companies making jokes at Anne's expense was Netflix France, which promoted "four films to see with Brad Pitt (really) for free" in a post on X. Artificial intelligence has increased the risk of identity theft and fraud online, which contributed to over $8.8 million in losses in the U.S., according to the Federal Trade Commission. A global study conducted by the computer security company McAfee found that 1 in 4 people worldwide have either experienced an AI-voice cloning scam or know someone who has.

Mockery of woman who sent AI Brad Pitt $855,000 in romance scam causes channel to pull interview

Brad Pitt during the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 1.Annalisa Ranzoni / Getty Images A French woman who thought she was in a romantic relationship with Hollywood star Brad Pitt handed over 830,000 euros ($855,000) to scammers as part of an elaborate, year-long con that involved an AI-generated version of the "Moneyball" actor. To add insult to injury, when she discussed her misfortune on French television channel TF1, the 53-year-old French interior designer known only as 'Anne' received a wave of mockery and trolling so big that the station had to pull her interview with its Seven to Eight show. "The story broadcast this Sunday has resulted in a wave of harassment against the witness," TF1 presenter Harry Roselmack posted on his X account Tuesday. "For the protection of victims, we have decided to withdraw it from our platforms." Anne said she began talking to the fake version of the "Fight Club" actor sometime in February 2023, after an account posing as Pitt's mother, Jane Etta Pitt, sent her a message on Instagram while she was on a skiing holiday in the French Alps. Speaking on TF1, Anne said that the account "told me that her son needed someone like me," according to AFP. Over the next few months, she exchanged several messages on different social media and messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, with the fake Pitt, even receiving AI-generated selfies of the 61-year-old actor, whose facsimile told her he needed money for cancer treatment. "At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it's ridiculous," she continued. "But I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me." The request for money came after the scammers told Anne that Pitt was in hospital with kidney cancer and needed money for the treatment, but that his bank accounts were allegedly frozen due to his divorce proceedings with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. She was hesitant at first, but eventually transferred the large sum of money to an account in Turkey after receiving an email from the fake star's "doctor." Anne said she finally realized she had been the victim of a scam after she saw pictures of the real Pitt with his current partner, Inès de Ramon, last summer. "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" she said. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." The French newspaper Sud Ouest reported that Anne was going through divorce proceedings with a millionaire entrepreneur at the time. She reportedly suffered from severe depression and was hospitalized following the scam. Police are now investigating the con, but the interview has nevertheless sparked a deluge of jokes online. Among the individuals, organizations and companies making jokes at Anne's expense was Netflix France, which promoted "four films to see with Brad Pitt (really) for free" in a post on X. Artificial intelligence has increased the risk of identity theft and fraud online, which contributed to over $8.8 million in losses in the U.S., according to the Federal Trade Commission. A global study conducted by the computer security company McAfee found that one in four people worldwide have either experienced an AI-voice cloning scam or know someone who has.

Brad Pitt Slams Scammer Who Swindled A Woman Out Of $850,000 With The Help Of AI, But Reminds Others 'Not To Respond To Unsolicited Online Outreach'

In recent news, a 53-year-old french woman was duped into parting ways with more than $850,000 thanks to a person who pretended to be Brad Pitt using a series of AI-generated videos and images. The movie star likely caught wind of the incident and has put out a statement bashing these individuals who take advantage of fans, while also laying down some valuable, but obvious advice for people to help protect them against future scams. The victim, Anne, who was last reported to be hospitalized due to severe depression, was lured into a trap by a scammer whose identity is yet to be deduced. By using AI-generated videos and images, the 'fake' Brad Pitt managed to obtain a small fortune thanks to Anne's divorce settlement, with the news likely getting noticed by the actual Hollywood icon. Talking with Entertainment Weekly, Pitt says that it is 'awful' that scammers resort to such tactics to deprive people of their money, but also reminds unsuspecting individuals to stay away from actors and accounts that have no social media presence. "It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities...but this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence." After transferring a boatload of funds to treat the AI-generated Brad Pitt's kidney cancer treatment, Anne discovered that she became a victim of the scam when she saw that the real Pitt was with his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon. After informing the police, Anne told media outlet Seven to Eight and she has never harmed anyone in her life, so why was she chosen as the next victim of these AI scams? In light of what has transpired, perhaps people like Anne will be better prepared when facing such scams, but with con artists employing more sophisticated techniques when leveraging AI, not to mention that artificial intelligence getting more and more convincing, people will need to develop new levels of awareness when combating such malicious individuals.

Scammer uses AI to pose as Brad Pitt, tricks woman into sending $850,000

Facepalm: Not for the first time, someone has been duped into believing they were conversing with a celebrity online and sent them money. The victim in this instance was a 53-year-old French woman, who sent $850,000 to a scammer that used AI-generated content to convince her she was in a relationship with Hollywood star Brad Pitt. The woman, an interior designer named Anne, was lured in after being messaged by an account that claimed to be run by Pitt's mother, Jane Etta Pitt. The person made contact after Anne shared photos of her ski trip to Tignes on Instagram. "She told me that her son needed someone like me," Anne said, according to France 24. Anne said she initially believed the account was a fake, "but I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me." A day later, an account claiming to be Brad Pitt sent Anne another message, saying his mother had spoken about her a lot. The pair struck up an online relationship over the next two years. The scammer sent photos and videos that were likely a mix of AI and simple Photoshop edits - a lot of them are very unconvincing. Requests for money came when the person told Anne she was being sent luxury handbags but needed to pay the customs bill, the first being €9,000 ($9,272). The scammer, who also sent Anne (almost certainly AI-generated) poetry, eventually created a story about the actor having kidney cancer. The fake Pitt said he could not access his funds to pay for the cancer treatment due to an ongoing divorce battle with Angelina Jolie, appealing to Anne to help with the costs. They also sent her AI-generated images of Pitt in a hospital bed. Anne agreed to the request and sent a large sum of money. "There are so few men who write such things. I liked the man I was talking to and he knew how to talk to women," she reportedly told local media. Eventually, the fake Pitt asked Anne to marry him. She only realized she had been the victim of a scammer after seeing a news story on Pitt's relationship with Ines de Ramon. Anne contacted the authorities but was unable to recover any of the $850,000 she had sent to the scammer. Advancements in generative AI have made romance scams even more convincing. The fake Pitt in this instance always said he was too busy with work to speak to Anne on the phone, which is a common tactic even though AI can now generate convincing, real-time conversations. It's reported that Anne suffers from mental health problems and had been hospitalized for severe depression. France 24 noted that the official Netflix France account referenced the case, posting a message that promoted "four films to see with Brad Pitt (really) for free." In September, five people were arrested in Spain for pretending to be Pitt and persuading two women, via WhatsApp and email messaging, to invest in fake projects.

Woman who lost $850,000 to scammers posing as Brad Pitt faces wave of online harassment and mockery

A French woman who revealed on television how she had lost her life savings to scammers posing as Brad Pitt, has faced a wave of online harassment and mockery, leading the interview to be withdrawn on Tuesday. The woman, named as Anne, told the "Seven to Eight" program on the TF1 channel that she had believed she was in a romantic relationship with the Hollywood star, leading her to divorce her husband and transfer $850,000. The scammers used fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, as well as AI image-creating technology to send Anne what appeared to be selfies and messages from Pitt. To extract money, they pretended that the 61-year-old actor needed money to pay for kidney treatment, with his bank accounts supposedly frozen because of divorce proceedings with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie. Anne, a 53-year-old interior decorator with mental health problems, spent a year and half believing she was communicating with Pitt and only realized she had been scammed when news emerged of Pitt's real-life relationship with girlfriend Ines de Ramon. "The story broadcast this Sunday has resulted in a wave of harassment against the witness," TF1 presenter Harry Roselmack wrote on his X account on Tuesday. "For the protection of victims, we have decided to withdraw it from our platforms." Anne was said by the channel at the time of its broadcast to have been suffering from severe depression and received hospital treatment. The interview, in which she was filmed openly and even shared family photos with reporters, went viral on Monday. It sparked a deluge of mocking comments and jokes, but some online critics accused TF1 of failing to protect a vulnerable individual who might not have been unaware of the consequences of going public. Toulouse Football Club tweeted that "Brad told us that he would be at the stadium on Wednesday" for the team's next match, before withdrawing the message and apologizing. Netflix France also posted on social media promoting "four films to see with Brad Pitt (really) for free." Romance scams have been a feature of the internet since the advent of email, but experts say artificial intelligence has increased the risk of identity theft, hoaxes and fraud online. Anne told TF1 that she was first contacted by someone posing as Pitt's mother shortly after she began using Instagram for the first time while on a ski trip with her family in France. "She told me that her son needed someone like me," Anne explained. The scammers messaged her again several days afterwards, this time posing as Pitt. "At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it's ridiculous," Anne explained to TF1. "But I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me." "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" she continued. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." More than 64,000 Americans were taken for over $1 billion in romance scams in 2023 -- double the $500 million just four years earlier, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In 2023, senior citizens were conned out of roughly $3.4 billion in a range of financial crimes, according to the FBI data. The agency recently warned that AI has increased the "believability" or criminal scams given that they "assist with content creation and can correct for human errors that might otherwise serve as warning signs of fraud."

Brad Pitt responds after catfisher impersonated him using AI to scam...

A representative for Brad Pitt is warning the public to ignore unsolicited DMs from supposed celebrities after a romance scammer impersonated the "Fight Club" actor with AI-generated selfies to dupe a French woman out of $850,000. "It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities, but this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence," Pitt's rep told E! News. Pitt doesn't have any official social media accounts -- on Instagram, X or TikTok. But it was supposedly his mother, Jane Etta Pitt, who first got in touch with the catfishing victim, a 53-year-old interior designer named Anne, the woman told the French TV show "Seven to Eight" on Sunday. Anne said the fake Jane reached out to say that her famous, Emmy-winning son -- who was twice named the "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine -- "needed someone like me." The interior designer -- who was in the middle of a divorce from her much older millionaire husband -- didn't believe the message could be real -- at least at first. "We're talking about Brad Pitt here, and I was stunned," Anne said. "At first, I thought it was fake, but I didn't really understand what was happening to me." Still, she responded to the message and eventually began conversing with who she believed to be Pitt himself. They chatted over the next 18 months, with the fake star starting a budding romance -- sending sappy poems, declarations of love and eventually a marriage proposal, according to the Independent. The faux-Pitt then confided in Anne that he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and needed money to pay for his treatments since Pitt's real-life ex, Angelina Jolie, had reportedly frozen his bank accounts. To prove he was cancer-stricken, the texter sent Anne photos of Pitt in a hospital gown from a hospital bed and an email from a "doctor" saying the Oscar-winning actor was dying. Anne sent countless payments totaling more than $850,000 to the ailing "Pitt" for his medical treatments -- which were requested by a Turkish account, the outlet reported. But the images she received -- including a selfie of Pitt holding up a note reading "Anne love you" -- were forged and created using AI. Anne's daughter reportedly told her mom she was talking to a con artist and not the Hollywood hunk but she refused to believe it. "You'll see when he's here in person, then you'll say sorry," she said she told her daughter. The star-stricken fan finally realized she had hoodwinked when the real Pitt was photographed over the summer with current beau Inès de Ramon. "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" Anne said of the scammers. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." It's unclear if the scammer has been caught. Since her story was broadcast, Anne's situation has only gotten worse as she became the victim of cyberbullying. The French station TF1 has since pulled her interview over the online hate she's received, according to the Independent.

Rs 7.36 crore AI scam involving Brad Pitt addressed by actor. 'It's awful that...'

A French woman, identified as Anne, was scammed out of $850,000 by fraudsters posing as Brad Pitt using AI-generated images and fake social media accounts. The scammers convinced her they were in a romantic relationship, with fabricated stories about Pitt needing money for medical treatment due to his divorce. Brad Pitt condemned the scam, emphasizing the importance of being cautious with unsolicited online interactions, especially from celebrities without social media presence. Brad Pitt has expressed his disgust over a disturbing scam where a French woman was tricked into believing she was in a relationship with an AI-generated version of him. The victim, identified as Anne, spoke to France's TF1 channel, revealing that she was duped into transferring approximately $850,000 (Rs 7,36,09,575) over a year-long interaction with the fraudster. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, a spokesperson for Pitt called the situation "awful," emphasizing the exploitation of fans' emotional connections to celebrities. "It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities... but this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence." The woman, a 53-year-old interior designer, shared her experience with French TV show Sept à Huit. She explained that she was initially approached by someone posing as Pitt's mother on social media, which led to messages from an individual claiming to be Pitt himself. The scammer convinced Anne that the actor needed financial help for medical treatment, citing a kidney issue and claiming his bank accounts were frozen due to ongoing divorce proceedings with his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie. Despite her initial skepticism, Anne, who was not familiar with social media, eventually engaged with the messages. "I didn't really understand what was happening to me," she admitted. The fraudster used convincing AI-generated images, including doctored photos of Pitt in a hospital bed, to persuade Anne that the story was real. Over time, Anne transferred her life savings to the scammer, convinced that she was in a romantic relationship with the actor. This incident highlights the growing problem of AI-driven scams, which have become more common as the technology has evolved. According to Authority Hacker, Americans lost over $108 million to scams involving AI in the last year alone. These scams, which often target fans of celebrities, are becoming increasingly difficult to detect due to the sophistication of AI tools. Anne's case is not an isolated one. Last year, two women in Spain were scammed out of €352,000 ($362,000) by fraudsters posing as Pitt. Similar scams have also affected other celebrities, with actor Johnny Depp speaking out about AI scams targeting his fans. "AI can create the illusion of my face and voice... scammers may look and sound just like the real me," Depp warned in an Instagram post. Since the interview aired, Anne has faced ridicule on social media, with some people mocking her for falling for the scam. However, there has also been considerable sympathy, with many pointing out the cruelty of romance scams. "Romance scams are the cruellest," one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter). The French news program Sept à Huit removed the segment from its platforms due to the harassment Anne faced after the broadcast. The show's X account commented, "For the protection of victims, we have decided to remove it from our platforms." Brad Pitt's team has continued to caution his fans about the dangers of online fraud. The actor, who has no verified social media accounts, including on Instagram, TikTok, or X, is urging people to be cautious when approached by unsolicited accounts claiming to be celebrities. "It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities," his spokesperson said. "But this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence." After realizing she had been scammed, Anne filed a police report and is now receiving treatment for severe depression. She described the emotional toll of the scam, questioning why she was targeted and expressing her anger at the fraudsters. "I keep asking myself, why did they choose me? What did I even do to deserve this? I have never harmed anyone. Those people deserve hell," she told Sept à Huit.

French woman scammed by AI Brad Pitt love scheme faces cyberbullying

An AI-generated con featuring Brad Pitt is causing quite the stir in France. A French interior designer, known as Anne, was scammed out of €830,000 after she was duped into thinking that she was in a relationship with the Hollywood actor and that he needed money for cancer treatment. The 53-year-old's story was broadcast on the French TV show Sept à Huit on TF1, where she disclosed being scammed by individuals pretending to be Brad Pitt. They used fake social media and artificial intelligence image-creating technology to craft an elaborate and heartbreaking swindle. In the episode, Anne shared how she received a message from someone purporting to be Jane Etta Pitt, the actor's mother, telling her she was exactly the woman her son needed. Soon afterwards, she started to receive messages from what she didn't know was an AI imitation of Brad Pitt. Anne was going through a divorce with a millionaire entrepreneur at the time, and over the course of a year, her 'lover' would send declarations of love and even asked her to marry him. "At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it's ridiculous," Anne explained on Sept à Huit. "But I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me." "There are few men who write to you like that," she told French media. "I loved the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women and it was very well put together." Once the link of trust was established, then came requests for money, as the scammer began to send luxury goods to Anne as gifts. However, she was told she had to take care of the customs bill - which for one handbag was reportedly €9,000. When Anne's daughter warned her mother that she was being conned, she said: "You'll see when he's here in person then you'll say sorry." Eventually, AI photos were sent showing Brad Pitt in hospital with kidney cancer. He needed money for treatment, with the excuse being that Pitt's real-life ex-wife Angelina Jolie had frozen his bank accounts. Despite Anne's doubts, she was reassured by the fake star's "doctor", who emailed her explaining Pitt was fighting to survive. It was then that Anne transferred around €800,000 to an account in Turkey. She said: "It cost me to do it, but I thought that I might be saving a man's life." It was only when the Hollywood star was pictured in the media last summer with his current partner Inès de Ramon that Anne realised that she had fallen for an elaborate scam. "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this," she told TF1. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." Since the Sept à Huit episode aired on Sunday 12 January, Anne's story has gone viral. However, instead of celebrating someone brave enough to speak out and expose her vulnerabilities or igniting debates on how to further regulate AI to better avoid these scams, the shameful response has been a wave of cyberbullying towards Anne. She was targeted on social media as well as with a satirical sketch on one of France's biggest radio shows. Football team Toulouse FC, who play in France's top division, poked fun at her on X: "Hi Anne, Brad told us he'd be at the Stadium on Wednesday for #TFCLAVAL. What about you? We've included the link to buy your ticket. See you on Wednesday." Many social media users rightly considered the post to indecent, which led to the football team to delete the post and apologise: "We understand that our tweet may have been misinterpreted, and we sincerely apologise. We deeply regret if our comments conveyed a negative message. Thank you for your feedback on this error. We promise to be even more careful and discerning in the future." They're not the only ones jumping on the bullying bandwaggon, as Netflix France started promoting "four films to see with Brad Pitt (really) for free." Stay classy, Netflix. Considering the amount of scrutiny, TF1 journalist Harry Roselmack took to X to announce that the story "has resulted in a wave of harassment against the witness," leading the network to withdraw the broadcast from its platforms and replay services. Police are now investigating the con that has left Anne almost penniless and hospitalised with depression.

AI Brad Pitt Cost a French Woman $850,000, Led to Her Divorce

An unfortunate case of deception has caught fire on social media this week. As reported by France 24, a French woman named Anne was apparently scammed out of $850,00 dollars, (830,000 euros) by someone pretending to be Brad Pitt. The scammer heavily relied on AI images and videos to achieve their faux-Pitt persona, which also included poems and personal messages. The woman struggled with mental health problems, and, according to some reports, left her wealthy husband because she believed she was actually conversing with Brad Pitt. The nature of the scam centered on the idea that the scammer convinced Anne that "Brad Pitt" was in need of serious medical treatment and was unable to access his fortune because of his divorce from Angelina Jolie. As first revealed in a segment on French TV station TF1, Anne only became aware of the truth when she saw public news about Brad Pitt's real-life girlfriend, Ines de Ramon. After TF1 ran the news segment, some decided to mock Anne online, making light of the fact that she had been deceived. But the 57-year-old defended herself, saying, "I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me." She also explained that the scam started when someone reached out to her posing as Brad Pitt's mother. In the same TV segment, she said: "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this? I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." Related: The 15 Most Anticipated Movies of 2025 That You Can't Miss

Forlorn French woman duped out of $850K by scammer posing as...

A romance scammer who pretended to be an ailing Brad Pitt suckered a French woman out of $850,000 by using AI-generated hospital selfies of the "Fight Club" hunk to tug at her heartstrings. The victim -- a 53-year-old interior designer named Anne -- told the French TV show "Seven to Eight" on Sunday that someone pretending to be the actor's mom, Jane Etta Pitt, got in touch with her first, the Daily Beast reported. "She told me that her son needed someone like me," she told France 24. "We're talking about Brad Pitt here, and I was stunned," Anne said. "At first, I thought it was fake, but I didn't really understand what was happening to me." The messages kept coming over the next 18 months, with Anne's fake lover sending poems, declarations of love and eventually a marriage proposal, according to the Independent. "There are few men who write to you like that," she said. "I loved the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women and it was very well put together." At the time, Anne was divorcing her millionaire, entrepreneur husband -- a man nearly two decades her senior. Meanwhile, the scammer running the AI bot claimed he'd send her expensive purses, but noted she'd have to pay the customs fee. That, of course, started at about $9,200, the Independent said. The requests continued, and eventually the faux-Pitt told her he had kidney cancer and needed cash for hospital treatments since Pitt's real-life ex, Angelina Jolie, had allegedly frozen his bank accounts. Forged photos of Pitt in a hospital room and an email from a "doctor" followed, saying the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" actor was on his deathbed. So Anne sent boatloads of money -- more than $850,000 -- to a Turkish account, the outlet said. Her daughter told her she was being conned. But Anne refused to believe it. "You'll see when he's here in person, then you'll say sorry," the victim said. She only realized she was being scammed over the summer, when Pitt was seen with current beau Inès de Ramon. It's unclear if the scammer was ever caught. She shared her story on the French station TF1, but the network later pulled the interview because she was being cyber-bullied, the Independent said. She has also been hospitalized for severe depression, the Daily Beast said. "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" she said of the scammers. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell."

French woman duped by AI Brad Pitt faces mockery online

A representative for Pitt told US outlet Entertainment Weekly that it was "awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities" and that people shouldn't respond to unsolicited online outreach "especially from actors who have no social media presence." Hundreds of social media users mocked Anne, who the programme said had lost her life's savings and tried to take her own life three times since the scam came to light. Netflix France put out a post on X advertising "four films with Brad Pitt (for real)", while, in a now-deleted post, Toulouse FC said: "Hi Anne, Brad told us he would be at the stadium on Wednesday... and you?" The club has since apologised for the post. On Tuesday, TF1 said it had pulled the segment on Anne after her testimony had sparked "a wave of harassment" - although the programme can still be found online. In the report, Anne said her ordeal began when she downloaded Instagram in February 2023, when she was still married to a wealthy entrepreneur. She was immediately contacted by someone who said they were Pitt's mother, Jane Etta, who told Anne her son "needed a woman just like her". Somebody purporting to be Pitt got in touch the next day, which set off alarm bells for Anne. "But as someone who isn't very used to social media, I didn't really know what was happening to me," she said. At one point, "Brad Pitt" said he tried to send her luxury gifts but that he was unable to pay customs on them as his bank accounts were frozen due to his divorce proceedings with actor Angelina Jolie, prompting Anne to transfer €9000 to the scammers. "Like a fool, I paid... Every time I doubted him, he managed to dissipate my doubts," she said. The requests for money ramped up when the fake Pitt told Anne he needed cash to pay for kidney cancer treatment, sending her multiple AI-generated photos of Brad 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. Meanwhile, Anne and her husband divorced, and she was awarded €775,000 - all of which went to the scammers. "I told myself I was maybe saving a man's life," Anne said, who is in cancer remission herself. Anne's daughter, now 22, told TF1 she tried to "get her mother to see reason" for over a year but that her mother was too excited. "It hurt to see how naive she was being," she said. When images appeared in gossip magazines showing the real Brad Pitt with his new girlfriend Ines de Ramon, awakening suspicions in Anne, the scammers sent her an fake news report in which the AI-generated anchor talked about Pitt's "exclusive relationship with one special individual... who goes by the name of Anne." The video comforted Anne for a short time, but when the real Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon made their relationship official in June 2024, Anne decided to end things. After scammers tried to get more money out of her under the guise of "Special FBI Agent John Smith," Anne contacted the police. An investigation is now under way. The TF1 programme said the events left Anne broke, and that she has tried to end her life three times. "Why was I chosen to be hurt this way?," a tearful Anne said. "These people deserve hell. We need to find those scammers, I beg you - please help me find them." But in the YouTube interview on Tuesday Anne hit back at TF1, saying it had left out details on her repeated doubts over whether she was talking to the real Brad Pitt, and added that anyone could've fallen for the scam if they were told "words that you never heard from your own husband." Anne said she was now living with a friend: "My whole life is a small room with some boxes. That's all I have left." While many online users overwhelmingly mocked Anne, several took her side. "I understand the comic effect but we're talking about a woman in her 50s who got conned by deepfakes and AI which your parents and grandparents would be incapable to spot," one popular post on X read. An op-ed in newspaper Libération said Anne was a "whistleblower": "Life today is paved with cybertraps... and AI progress will only worsen this scenario."

Scammer uses AI-generated images of Brad Pitt to swindle over $850K from 53-year-old French woman

One of many AI generated selfies made of Brad Pitt, used to fool a 53 year old French woman into sending copious amounts of money. (Image credit: Twitter (via the-express.com)) Now that AI can reliably imitate humans in certain situations, it's not surprising to hear it's being used by actual human scammers. According to an article from The Express, a 53-year-old French woman who identified herself as "Anne" to French channel TF1 was scammed out of 830,000 euros ($851,355) over two years by a scammer using AI-generated images of Brad Pitt. Anne was convinced to hand over the money because she thought "Brad" needed it for cancer treatment. The scammer employed tactics beyond simple AI photography and video, including an extensive text-based relationship with the victim, which included sending regular (likely also AI-generated) poetry and, eventually, a feigned kidney cancer story -- complete with an AI-generated photo. Truthfully, none of the generated photos look like something that couldn't be done with Photoshop -- but at least the typical Photoshop job requires a little more effort than a quick text prompt. Anne did overlook one key red flag that is common in schemes like this -- the complete lack of any real-time phone communication. Although, even if she had considered that, faking a voice call isn't outside the range of options available to those willing to exploit AI for a quick buck. Other ways cybercriminals have upped their game with AI include committing wire fraud against music platforms by streaming music with bots, and, of course, generating spam, including inflammatory and illegal content for use with phishing emails, malicious ads, etc. While AI hasn't changed the overall landscape of spam and cybercrime a ton, AI has increased the speed and efficiency at which attacks can now be executed. Unfortunately for Anne, she only discovered she was the victim of an elaborate online scam when she saw her celebrity boyfriend perfectly alive and healthy with a new girlfriend on TV -- about two years after she forked over the money. Despite going to the authorities with her story, Anne was unable to recoup any of the money she lost. A fair portion of it was from a divorce settlement from her millionaire ex-husband, knowledge of which seems to have encouraged the scammer to go to such lengths.

French TV show pulled after ridicule of woman who fell for AI Brad Pitt

Anne, 53, faces wave of online mockery for believing she was in relationship with actor and paying scammer €830k A French woman who believed she was in a long-term romantic relationship with Brad Pitt and was scammed into paying €830,000 (£700,000) to help him with medical treatment faced such a wave of online mockery that a TV programme about her has been withdrawn. The interior designer, named as Anne, 53, has been targeted on social media and even a satirical sketch on France's biggest radio breakfast show after giving an interview about the case to the Seven to Eight programme on the TF1 channel on Sunday. Speaking about what she had believed to be an online relationship with Pitt lasting more than a year, Anne said she had thought they were in love. When she was told the actor needed financial help for cancer treatment because his accounts had been frozen during divorce proceedings with Angelina Jolie, she transferred the money. It was only when the Hollywood star was pictured in the media this summer with his partner, Inés de Ramon, that she realised she had fallen for an elaborate scam, Anne said. "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this," she told TF1. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." The TV programme went viral and resulted in a wave of online gags about credulity, causing the channel to withdraw the programme from its replay services on its websites on Tuesday. TF1 said at the time of its broadcast that Anne had experienced mental health difficulties, had also had severe depression and been hospitalised for treatment. The TF1 presenter Harry Roselmack wrote on social media on Tuesday: "For the protection of victims, we have decided to withdraw [the segment] from our platforms." Among the social media accounts to have mocked Anne's gullibility was Toulouse Football Club, which wrote on X: "Brad told us that he would be at the stadium on Wednesday" for the team's next match, before withdrawing the message and posting an apology. Netflix France also posted on social media promoting "four films to see with Brad Pitt (really) for free". The scam dated back to February 2023, when Anne, who had been married to a wealthy entrepreneur, joined Instagram in order to share pictures of a skiing holiday in the French Alps. On her return, she was contacted on the social network by someone posing as Jane Pitt, the actor's mother, who began chatting to her and said she would be a good match for her son. Then another account got in touch claiming to be the actor himself. His mother had told him all about her, the person said. "I'd like to know more about you," read one message to Anne. "But I'd like to know whether you work in the media as I'm protective of my private life." Anne, who said she did not have much understanding about social media, spent a year and a half communicating with the person she thought was Pitt. That person used fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, as well as artificial intelligence image-creating technology to send her what appeared to be selfies and other messages, including poems and songs and an apparent copy of Pitt's passport. She said he was really interested in her work and they communicated every day. "I was in love with the man I was chatting to," she said. "He knew how to speak to a woman." Among the things Anne discussed with the person claiming to be Pitt was her large divorce settlement payment. She then received AI-generated pictures of the actor apparently in hospital, with requests to her to pay for his kidney treatment. She transferred hundreds of thousands of euros for supposed medical costs. The TF1 programme makers said Anne had filed a police complaint over the scam.

French Woman Says AI Brad Pitt Scammed Her Out of $850K

Taylor Kitsch Was Asked to Return for 'Friday Night Lights' Reboot But Only Wants to Do One Episode A French woman says she was scammed out of her life savings by an AI Brad Pitt. The 53-year-old woman, named Anne, has revealed that she was scammed out of $850,000 after believing she was in a long-term relationship with the real Hollywood star, per Men's Journal. The scam began when she was contacted by a scammer claiming to be Pitt's mother, Jane, who "told me that her son needed someone like me" and her communication lasted more than a year. "At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it's ridiculous," Anne explained on a Sunday episode of Seven to Eight on French TV channel TF1. "But I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me." Using AI technology to emulate the Once Upon a Time in...Hollywood actor, the scammers sent personalized photos and messages to the woman, leading her to believe the hoax. They later coerced her into sending over nearly $1 million for a kidney treatment. They pretended that Pitt was unable to access his bank accounts due to his high-profile divorce from Angelina Jolie. The woman, who TF1 says struggles with mental health problems, left her husband because of the scam before realizing she'd been conned after seeing news reports about Pitt's real-life girlfriend, Ines de Ramon. "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" she said. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." The report says Anne filed a police report over the scam. Since the Sunday segment aired, the story has gone viral, igniting a plethora of cyberbullying toward the victim. In the wake of the scrutiny, TF1 journalist Harry Roselmack took to X to announce that the story "has resulted in a wave of harassment against the witness," leading the network to withdraw the broadcast from its platforms, reported The Guardian.

AI Brad Pitt persuades woman to divorce husband and hand over €800k

53-year-old files legal complaint for fraud and opens crowdfunding account to cover legal costs after scam left her almost penniless A lovestruck French woman handed over €830,000 to a fake, AI-generated Brad Pitt who convinced her he needed the money for cancer treatment in the midst of his divorce battle with Angelina Jolie. Anne, a 53-year-old interior designer, said she believed that she and the Hollywood star had fallen in love online and would marry so she divorced her husband and then wired fraudsters all the money from the settlement. The truth only started to dawn on her when she saw reports of the Fight Club star with his new girlfriend. She has filed a legal complaint for fraud and opened an online crowdfunding account to cover her legal costs. Anne's ordeal reportedly started in February 2023 when she created an Instagram account to share photos of her skiing holiday in the Alps. A woman calling herself Jane Etta Pitt - the real name of Brad Pitt's mother - then contacted her in English, saying: "My son needs a woman like you." The "son" in question then popped up in her messages - also in English - the next day, demanding to know more about her. She said: "We're talking about Brad Pitt here and I was stunned. At first, I thought it was fake, but I didn't really understand what was happening to me. After that, we got in touch every day and became buddies." While admitting to being a relative novice on social networks, Anne asked for proof of the man's identity and received images of his passport, messages from people supposedly close to the actor, and AI-generated photos and videos of him. She said: "I thought he had taken these photos for me."

French Woman Faces Cyberbullying After Forking Over $850,000 to AI Brad Pitt

The Weeknd Cancels Rose Bowl Show, Postpones Album Release Due to L.A. Fires A french woman alleges she was scammed of $850,000 by an AI Brad Pitt. The 53-year-old interior designer, Anne, was contacted by a scammer disguised as Pitt's mother Jane, who told the woman Pitt needed kidney treatment. "She told me that her son needed someone like me," Anne said on a Sunday episode of Seven to Eight on French TV channel TF1. The scammer convinced the woman to send copious amounts of money to help cover Pitt's kidney treatment. To justify the Oscar-winning actor's shortage of cash, the scammer said Pitt was unable to access his bank accounts due to his divorce with Angelina Jolie. "At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it's ridiculous," Anne continued. "But I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me." The scheme follows a similar scam that beset fans of Johnny Depp, who warned on social media earlier this month that online scammers were using his likeness to target fans. A Gizmodo report revealed the Federal Trade Commission received nearly 200 complaints about fake Depps clawing for money. The Pitt scammer sent personalized AI-generated photos and messages via social media and messaging apps to the woman for more than a year. It began in February 2023, when Anne joined Instagram to share pictures of a skiing trip in the French Alps. Anne, who suffers from mental health issues, left her husband as the scam carried on, and noticed it was a bait-and-switch after reading news headlines of Pitt's girlfriend Ines de Ramon. Anne has since filed a police report, according to TF1. "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" she said. "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." Following the Seven to Eight broadcast, Anne has faced cyberbullying, while other online users have attacked the TV channel TF1 for failing to protect the woman from harassment. Netflix France, for example, posted on social media, "four films to see with Brad Pitt (really) for free". TF1 has since pulled the interview from its programming, since reaching viral fame, according to a Tuesday social media post by TF1 presenter Harry Roselmack. Brangelina, who became an item after co-starring in the 2005 action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith, settled their divorce Dec. 30, nearly eight years after Jolie filed for divorce. Jolie and Pitt were together for 12 years, and married for two. They filed for divorce following an inflight fight, in which Jolie said Pitt was abusive to her and the kids. After an FBI and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services investigation, they concluded no action was needed. The now divorced couple share six kids, four of which are adults.

Brad Pitt's Rep Responds After Catfished Fan Was Scammed Out of $850K

Alamo Drafthouse Hit With Layoffs; Slow Box Office Season Cited Bratt Pitt's team has issued a response after a fan of the actor was allegedly scammed out of $850,000. The 53-year-old French woman, named Anne, previously revealed that she was conned after being convinced she was in a long-term relationship with the F1 star. The scammer allegedly used AI technology to impersonate Pitt, sending personalized photos and messages to the woman. Anne was convinced to send nearly $1 million for a cancer treatment, with "Pitt" claiming he was unable to access his bank accounts due to his divorce from Angelina Jolie. The scammer even sent AI-generated images of Pitt in the hospital to help convince Anne to send the money. Now Pitt's spokesperson has released the following statement: "It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities, but this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence." Indeed, Pitt, like many A-listers, doesn't have social media accounts. Anne reportedly eventually realized she had been conned when she saw photos of Pitt out on the town with girlfriend Ines de Ramon. Anne told her story on an episode of the French TV show Seven to Eight, and was first reported stateside by Men's Journal. "At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it's ridiculous," Anne said. "But I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me. I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this? I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell." Compounding Anne's misfortune, by going public with the scam, Anne has reportedly been the victim of "a wave of harassment," which has also led the TV show to be withdrawn from the broadcaster's platforms.

French woman loses €800K believing she was in a romantic relationship with an AI 'Brad Pitt'

There isn't really a good reason why we have AI that can replicate celebrities' faces, and yet now we have it. It can lead to yet another scam that people will have to watch out for, as Anne unfortunately found out the hard way, when she lost more than €800,000 to a fake Brad Pitt using AI images. This all started back in 2023, when Anne was contacted via social media by the impersonator. Due to the use of AI, they were able to generate images of Pitt in a hospital bed, with the scammer claiming Anne would need to pay for Pitt's hospitable bills. The scammer put forward the story that Pitt was unable to use his own money as his accounts were locked during his divorce with Angelina Jolie. Anne only realised it was fake when she saw Brad Pitt on the news with a new girlfriend, forcing her to realise she had just lost a marriage and a huge amount of money on a scam.

French woman sends over €830,000 euros to scammer

The victim reportedly sent the scammer money she received from a divorce settlement from her millionaire husband. A French woman was scammed out of €830,000 euros after a catfisher posed as actor Brad Pitt using AI-generated images, Newsweek reported on Tuesday. Anne, a 53-year-old woman, first chatted with the scammer on Facebook in 2023, Newsweek quoted the French broadcast network BFM TV. Initially, Anne believed she was talking to Brad Pitt's mother, with later text messages claiming to be from 'Pitt' himself, Newsweek reported. At the start of the scheme, Anne was married to a millionaire, who she later divorced after the scammer asked her to marry him. AI images In the messages, the scammer claimed to be sick with cancer, using AI-generated pictures of Pitt lying in a hospital bed, according to pictures shared on X/Twitter that have received over 18 million views. The scammer said he needed money for medical treatment but couldn't use his own money since he was going through his own divorce with actress Angelina Jolie, Newsweek added. Anne reportedly sent the scammer over €830,000 euros with money she received from the divorce settlement. According to Newsweek, the woman eventually realized she was scammed when she saw a picture of the real Brad Pitt with his current girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.

This deepfake Brad Pitt scam is a cautionary tale on the dangers of AI catfishing

Whether we like it or not, AI technology is rapidly advancing and while regulation is slowly catching up, we're still in a 'Wild West' era ripe for scams. One of the most recent cautionary tales is about a woman who fell in love with an AI Brad Pitt - little did she know her whirlwind romance would cost her over €800,000. As we've seen with the best deepfake examples, to the untrained eye these AI mirages can be deceptively real - especially when you're blinkered by love. Absurdity aside, it's a sobering reflection of the dark side of AI technology and a reminder that we should be vigilant in protecting those who are vulnerable to AI scams. The story originally aired on the French TV programme TF1, where 53-year-old Anne shared her experience. Over a year and a half, she was manipulated by scammers, parting with a total of €830,000 which she believed was aiding Mr Pitt in his alleged kidney cancer treatment. Using extremely nefarious tactics such as love bombing and even a marriage proposal, the scammers weaved an intricate story to manipulate Anne, even leading her to divorce her own husband. "There are few men who write to you like that. I loved the man I was talking to," she told TF1, "At first, I thought it was fake, but I didn't really understand what was happening to me." To add to the 'realism' of the absurd story, scammers made fake AI images of Pitt, including various pictures of him in a hospital bed. While some photos may appear obviously edited to some, in tandem with the scammers' manipulative tactics they only deepened the emotional turmoil of Anne's situation. She later admitted on a popular French YouTube show "I just got played, I admit it, and that's why I came forward, because I am not the only one." A spokesperson for Pitt recently told E! News that it was "awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities" warning fans not to respond to unsolicited messages, "especially from actors who have no social media presence." While the unusual tale has been met with mockery, it's important not to overlook the manipulation at hand - AI scams like this aren't uncommon and we should be looking at the situation with empathy. This is one of many AI controversies that prove we still have a long way to go with AI regulation if we want to protect current and future generations.