In a heartbreaking incident, a woman has been conned out of £146,000 by an individual posing as Hollywood star Brad Pitt.
The victim, a middle-aged woman from Granada, Spain, believed she had encountered the A-list actor on a fan Facebook page dedicated to Brad Pitt’s movies, particularly “Fight Club.”
The scammer, pretending to be Brad Pitt, manipulated the star-struck woman into falling in love with him and even convinced her that they would eventually marry.
During their communication, which lasted for five months since early last year, the fraudster, who was part of a larger group of scammers based in Turkey, fabricated photoshopped images of the 59-year-old actor. Some of these images included false personal messages intended to deceive the victim.
In an email exchange, the imposter informed the victim that he would be visiting Spain to film an upcoming movie, and he even suggested that she could have a role in the film alongside him.
As the scam progressed, the fraudster requested smaller transactions to be sent to various bank accounts in Spain and across Europe, with one transfer amounting to an astonishing £25,774 (€30,000).
The victim, realizing the deceit a few weeks ago, sought legal assistance and approached her lawyer to address the situation.
According to the lawyer, the woman suffered a total loss of £146,000 (€170,000) due to the scam.
This distressing incident serves as a reminder to exercise caution and be wary of individuals who create false identities to deceive innocent people. It is crucial to remain vigilant while engaging in online interactions and to verify the authenticity of individuals and their claims before making any financial commitments.
