Brad Pitt has publicly condemned a group of scammers who impersonated him online, defrauding two women out of $362,000. The actor, known for his privacy and lack of social media presence, expressed dismay over the fraudulent activities.
“It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities,” a spokesperson for Pitt told The New York Times in a statement. The representative also issued a reminder to the public, urging them to avoid responding to unsolicited online outreach from actors who do not maintain social media accounts.
The Scam
Spanish authorities arrested five individuals in connection with the scheme, which involved posing as Pitt and building fake romantic relationships with the victims, Time reported. After earning their trust, the imposters persuaded the women to transfer large sums of money, supposedly for investments in projects connected to the actor.
“My love for you is true. Feeling from my heart and forever, please forgive me and accept me … it is because I love you and am very much in love with you,” one handwritten letter sent by an imposter to one of the victimes, according to Times of London.
This criminal group targeted victims through Brad Pitt fan pages.
The arrests took place over several months by Guardia Civil, the Spanish police agency, with three suspects apprehended in November and two more in July. The Spanish Ministry of Interior stated that additional individuals are still under investigation. The scam artists employed emotional manipulation, convincing the women that they were in romantic relationships with the Hollywood actor, who has a new worth of $400 million, leading one woman to transfer approximately $167,000 and the other around $195,500.
Police have recovered about $95,000 for the victims, Time reported.
Pitt’s spokesperson stressed the actor has no social media presence and has long expressed his disinterest in platforms like Instagram or X.
In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urges individuals who have been targeted by similar schemes to report the fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.