Hollywood star Brad Pitt has once again become the unwitting face of an elaborate scam operation, according to international reports. A Swiss woman identified as Patricia was deceived into losing £90,000 (about 88,125 USD) after receiving an Instagram message last May from someone pretending to be Pitt’s manager.
The impostor promised direct contact with the actor, and before long, a fake Pitt was professing love, asking for secrecy, and sending romantic messages and flowers.
Convinced she had entered a relationship with one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures, Patricia complied when the scammers later claimed they needed money for kidney cancer treatment and for arranging in person meetings.
She made several transfers and even flew to Los Angeles, waiting alone in a hotel for three weeks for a meeting that never happened. The scheme escalated when a fake manager demanded fines for her supposed unauthorized attempts to reach the actor, which she also paid.
Realization struck only after she returned home, learned of a similar French case, and alerted the authorities. She admitted feeling mortified for maintaining the false relationship for nearly a year.
The Pitt impersonation scam also resurfaced in October when a French victim named Anne published a book recounting her own loss of 830,000 EUR (about 1,020,000 USD).
In 2023, she received a message from someone pretending to be Pitt’s mother, claiming the actor needs someone like you. When she asked for proof, the scammers sent an AI generated image of Pitt and then used tactics involving frozen bank accounts and fabricated medical emergencies to drain her savings systematically.
A spokesperson for the real Brad Pitt condemned the schemes, stating that it is abhorrent that criminals exploit the emotional connection fans feel toward public figures.
