Spanish police have arrested five individuals for impersonating Hollywood actor Brad Pitt in an online scam that defrauded two women of a total of €325,000. This is not the first time that Pitt’s identity has been exploited by criminals. Promises of love, wealth, and fame are often at the core of such fraud schemes.
The suspects targeted their victims through a fan website dedicated to Brad Pitt. This led the women to believe they were in a romantic relationship with the actor. The fraudsters convinced them to invest in fake projects, leading one victim to lose €175,000 and the other €150,000. According to Spanish police, the scammers spent time studying the social media profiles of their victims to create detailed psychological profiles. The victims were identified as vulnerable, lonely, and suffering from depression.
The fraudsters then initiated contact via email and WhatsApp, luring the victims with promises of a romantic relationship. During searches of the suspects’ homes, police found a diary that detailed the scripts used to deceive the women.
A common scam tactic
Brad Pitt’s name has been used in various scams before. Last year, a woman in Granada was led to believe she would marry the actor and star in a film alongside him. She was tricked over four months into sending money to cover supposed production costs. By the time she realised it was a scam, she had lost €35,000. The scammers continued to manipulate her, posing as fraud investigators to extend the con.
A global problem
This type of scam is not limited to Spain. In 2020, Kelli Christina from Texas attempted to sue Brad Pitt after being defrauded of €35,000 by a Pitt impersonator. She believed she was donating money to meet Pitt at a charity event. When the lawsuit was dismissed, Christina expressed her frustration, claiming Pitt should do more to protect his fans from scammers using his identity.
Despite the dismissals, experts stress that these cases have nothing to do with the real Brad Pitt, and they urge potential victims to be cautious of any online interactions that seem too good to be true. As one insider noted, “This is a sad case of internet fraud, and we hope others can learn from it.”
Also read: Scam with a Hollywood twist by a fake Brad Pitt in Granada