Brad Pitt reacts to viral $850,000 scam

A spokesperson for Brad Pitt has responded to viral reports that a 53-year-old French woman was allegedly scammed out of $850,000 by online fraudsters who posed as the Oscar-winning actor.

“It’s horrible that scammers are taking advantage of the strong connection between fans and celebrities,” the spokesperson said in a statement obtained by E News. “But it’s an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online communications, especially from actors who have no social media presence.”

The viral story first appeared last Sunday on the current affairs show. Seven to eight on the French network TF1.

Anne, 53, said Seven to eight that the elaborate scam began in September 2023 when she received a message on Instagram from someone claiming to be Pitt’s mother.

Anne told the show that Pitt’s mother quickly played matchmaker and put her in touch with the actor. The scammers used fake social media accounts and AI-generated selfies to appear as Pitt in correspondence with Anne.

Anne spent more than a year communicating with the scammers, according to a France 24 report. Eventually, the fraudsters – still posing as Pitt – told Anne that the actor needed urgent surgery to treat kidney cancer. They told him that Pitt’s bank accounts had been frozen by his ex-wife Angelina Jolie. She transferred $850,000 to an account managed by the scammers.

Anne realized it was a scam after reading tabloid articles about Pitt and his partner Inès de Ramon. She reported the incident to French police, who opened an investigation last summer.

After Anne’s Seven to eight The episode aired and quickly went viral. The network later removed the episode from its website, citing online harassment Anne had suffered. French channel BFMTV reported that Anne was hospitalized for severe depression following the ordeal.