A major romance scam that defrauded a French woman of nearly $850,000 has been traced back to a group of Nigerian scammers, according to new revelations.
The scam targeted a 53-year-old woman, identified as Anne, who was led to believe she was in an online romantic relationship with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.
The perpetrators, using AI-generated images of the actor, convinced Anne that she had been communicating with the 61-year-old star.
The scammers, posing as Pitt, developed a false narrative over several months, claiming to be deeply involved in a relationship with her. Through a series of manipulative messages, they gained Anne’s trust, ultimately convincing her to wire substantial sums of money.
French broadcaster TF1 reported that Anne’s legal team is now focused on unmasking at least three individuals they accuse of orchestrating the fraudulent scheme.
The victims were misled into sending large sums of money under false pretenses, with the scammers using sophisticated AI technology to create fake images and further bolster their deceptive story.
Authorities in France and Nigeria are currently collaborating to track down the culprits, who have been implicated in several similar scams targeting individuals worldwide.