French woman, Anne, was defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars after being tricked into believing she was in a relationship with a Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.

The scam began with messages from accounts posing as Pitt and his mother, using AI-generated images of the actor to build trust.

The scammer claimed that Brad Pitt needed money for cancer treatment, exploiting Anne's vulnerability, who, despite warnings, continued to send money until she realized the scam.

A French woman was scammed out of hundreds of thousands of pounds after being tricked into believing she was dating Brad Pitt.

The 53-year-old victim, identified as Anne, was duped into sending €830,000 ($850,000), allegedly to support the actor's cancer treatment.

According to Daily MailAnne, an interior designer, shared with French network TF1 that the scam started when she received a message on social media from someone claiming to be Pitt's mother.

This followed her posting photos from an extravagant skiing holiday in Tignes on Instagram. The next day, she was contacted by another account, pretending to be the "Fight Club" actor, claiming that his mother had spoken highly of her.

At the time, Anne was struggling with personal issues in her marriage to a millionaire, and by February 2023, she had developed a close relationship with the impersonator.

The cheater sent her heartfelt songs and messages of support, deepening her emotional attachment.

"There are few men who write you such things. I liked the man I talked to. He knew how to talk to women, it was always very well done," admitted Anne in an interview with BFMTV.

Anne admitted that she initially suspected the account might be fake, but after daily conversations and receiving AI-generated photos and videos of Pitt, her doubts gradually disappeared.

What began as a seemingly innocent friendship soon escalated when the impersonator proposed marriage and promised Anne luxurious gifts.

However, there was a catch – she had to cover customs to receive these gifts, which quickly amounted to €9,000.

Seeing Ana's willingness to send money, the scammer continued to make increasingly outrageous demands.

When Anne confided that she expected a difficult divorce from her husband, the con man seized the opportunity.

Posing as Pitt, they claimed they urgently needed funds to treat kidney cancer, saying they were unable to access their own money due to their divorce battle with actress Angelina Jolie.

To make the story more believable, the scammer sent AI-generated images of Pitt looking weak and bedridden in a hospital.

Despite their constant exchange of messages and photos, Anne noticed that the impersonator was never available for a phone or video call.

Anne ended up losing almost a million euros due to the elaborate scam. Despite her daughter's repeated warnings, she remained confident in the relationship, insisting: "You'll see when he's here in person, and then you'll apologise."

Her belief began to waver only in the summer of 2024 when photos of the real Pitt with his girlfriend Ines de Ramon appeared in the media.

Sensing her growing suspicion, the scammers quickly sent Anne a fabricated news alert denying Pitt's relationship with de Ramon, claiming he was secretly involved with a mysterious "very special person".

The scam deepened when someone posing as an FBI agent contacted Anne, offering to save her from the scam for €5,000. Desperate for a solution, she sent money.

Financially exhausted, Anne was forced to sell all her furniture and move in with a friend. In a final bid to deal with her spiraling situation, she launched an online fundraiser to cover mounting legal costs.

According to TF1, Anne attempted suicide three times before being admitted to a specialist clinic for severe depression.

Once Anne fully realized the extent of the fraud, she reported it to the authorities, which launched an official investigation.

However, almost two years later, it remains uncertain whether she has recovered any of her lost funds. BFMTV reports that Anne is still in hospital as she struggles with the devastating effects of the ordeal.

Public reaction to her story was mixed; some expressed their condolences, while others felt that she was guilty of fraud.

One user on Xu (formerly Twitter) commented: "Romance scams are the cruelest."

Another said: "I had a friend who went through a similar situation and got pictures like this, but it was Jensen Ackles who needed $10,000 for surgery."

Others were more critical, questioning how she failed to confirm the claims. Someone wrote: "She couldn't Google 'Brad Pitt Hospital'? There would be at least one article."

On the harsher side, one user noted: "Honestly, if you fall for this mindset, Brad Pitt, of all people, will randomly DM you. You kind of deserve it."

Another said: "I don't know how people who are so stupid get so much money."