"You Need Money to Meet Me": Another Victim Falls for Brad Pitt Romance Scam

Waited Alone for Pitt for Three Weeks at a Los Angeles Hotel

Another case has occurred in which scammers impersonating Hollywood actor Brad Pitt deceived victims and extorted money.

Another case has occurred where scammers impersonating Hollywood actor Brad Pitt deceived victims and extorted money. The impersonators demanded money from the victims, claiming that they had kidney cancer and needed funds for treatment. Photo by X (formerly Twitter) screenshot

On November 26 (local time), foreign media outlets including the UK’s Daily Mail reported that a Swiss woman, referred to as Patricia (a pseudonym), was defrauded of 90,000 pounds (approximately 175 million won) by someone impersonating Pitt.

In May last year, Patricia received a direct message on Instagram from a person claiming to be Pitt’s manager. This individual reportedly appealed to Patricia’s admiration as a fan by asking, "Do you want to communicate directly with Pitt?" Afterward, the scammer pretending to be Pitt began sending Patricia sweet messages. He told her, "Patricia, you are my everything forever," while also asking her to "keep our relationship a secret." The impersonator even sent Patricia messages such as "I love you, let’s be together forever," along with flowers. Patricia could not hide her joy at the thought of being in a relationship with a famous actor.

As Patricia’s interactions with the scammer continued, he started asking her for money, citing reasons such as "I have kidney cancer and need money for treatment," and "If you want to meet me, you need to send money." Although Patricia initially refused, she eventually sent money multiple times, believing that Pitt truly loved her.

In her attempt to meet Pitt, Patricia booked a flight to Los Angeles, USA, and waited alone for three weeks at the hotel mentioned by the impersonator. Later, the person claiming to be Pitt’s manager demanded a penalty from Patricia, saying she tried to approach the actor without consent, and Patricia reportedly sent that money as well.

Ultimately, Patricia never met Pitt and, on her way back to Switzerland, discovered in France that there were other victims like herself. It was reported that these impersonators are believed to be part of the same criminal organization that previously defrauded a French woman.

Patricia expressed her distress, saying, "I am so ashamed that I maintained a fake relationship for almost a year," and "I don’t know how I could have been used like that."

Criminal organizations used photos and videos impersonating Hollywood famous actor Brad Pitt created by artificial intelligence (AI). The impersonators sent these photos to build rapport and extort money. The Lad Bible

Meanwhile, in October, the case drew renewed attention after a French woman who lost her entire fortune to scammers impersonating Pitt published a book about her experience. In 2023, Anne received a message from a woman claiming to be Pitt’s mother, saying, "My son needs a woman like you." Anne then began communicating with someone claiming to be Pitt. Growing suspicious, she requested proof of identity. The impersonator gained Anne’s trust by sending her AI-generated photos of Pitt. The scammer then demanded money for reasons such as a frozen bank account and kidney cancer treatment. Over the course of several months, Anne ended up sending her entire fortune of 830,000 euros (approximately 1.36 billion won) to the impersonators.

Upon learning of the incident, Brad Pitt’s representatives emphasized, "It is terrible that scammers exploit the strong bond between fans and celebrities."