AI scam targets women: 'Brad Pitt' now 'Keanu Reeves' impostors
Generated images of Brad Pitt from the hospital, created by artificial intelligence, are circulating online. He appears unwell but in love with a French woman who was scammed out of over £720,000. There's more to this story.
A few days ago, we reported on a French citizen named Anne who fell victim to an internet scam. Someone pretended to be Brad Pitt—making the woman fall in love and convincing her to send thousands of euros. In total, Anne lost £720,000, believing she was helping Brad Pitt with his cancer treatment and his battle with Angelina Jolie. Awaiting her divorce, Anne agreed to help, believing in the authenticity of the situation. The scammer even sent pictures from a "hospital" to legitimise his requests. Today, these photos can be seen online because Anne appeared for the first time on the French station TF1 and shared her story with the media. But that's not the end.
Scammers posing as Brad Pitt now impersonate Keanu Reeves
Journalists from TF1 and the victim sought assistance from Marwan Ouarab, the founder of the "Find My Scammer" website. Ouarab has spent years helping individuals targeted by scams similar to Anne's case. Together, they worked to uncover the true identity of the person posing as "Brad Pitt." In an interview with the French outlet 20 Minutes, Ouarab noted that the investigation was challenging and required the involvement of his entire team.
The scammer was outsmarted with his technique. Ouarab's team sent the man a link with tracking software. Unwittingly, he shared all the contents of his phone. Thanks to this, the "Find My Scammer" service gathered extensive information about the scammer, including the exact location of this individual. The source of the scam is located in Nigeria.
It was determined that a group of 3-4 young people was behind the crimes. Not only Anne but 34 other people also fell for the fake, enamoured Brad Pitt. The money sent by the French citizen was transferred to cryptocurrency wallets. The case has been handed over to Nigerian authorities, but the scammers remain active. According to an expert, they are now impersonating Keanu Reeves. Marwan Ouarab says the case is complex because it is uncertain whether Nigerian authorities will address it. The specialists could recover the money illegally, which would cause further problems for Anne and themselves.
Brad Pitt's spokesperson released a statement to the media: "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 have are not present on social networks."
