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Brad Pitt representative issued a warning to fans after five imposters were arrested in Spain after defrauding two women out of $362,000 by posing as the actor.
According to a statement released on September 23 by Spain’s Interior Ministry, five people have been arrested and face fraud and money laundering charges with three of the online swindlers arrested last November and two more arrested in July.
The statement revealed that the imposters reached out through an online Brad Pitt fan page, exchanging instant messages and emails with the women, who were under the impression that they were speaking to the real A-list actor. The imposters tricked the women into believing that their online interactions had evolved into a “romantic relationship.”
“In order to find their victims, the cyber criminals studied their social networks and put together a psychological profile of them, discovering as a result that both women were vulnerable people suffering from depression and a lack of affection,” the statement said.
“They also used instant messaging platforms to exchange messages and emails with the two women until they thought they were chatting via WhatsApp with Brad Pitt himself, who promised them a romantic relationship and a future together.”
Authorities added that the situation escalated once the Pitt imposters began to ask the victims for money, with one losing up to $168,000, while another sent around $195,500. Both of the women made numerous bank transfers to the imposters until realizing they were being scammed, that’s when they went to the authorities. Throughout the ongoing investigation, they have so far only recovered $94,000.
They also found that the scam was run via multiple bank accounts created using fake identity documents, with “mules” helping the fraudsters launder the money.
As a part of their operations, they raided five homes, reportedly seizing several mobile phones, bank cards, two computers and a diary “in which the phrases used by the fraudsters to deceive their victims were written down.”
Pitt’s publicist Matthew Hiltzik, dispelled any notion that the Bullet Train actor was on social media, stating to the New York Times: “It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities. But this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence.”
The Fight Club actor has long been off social media platforms including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Facebook.
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