Fake Brad Pitt Impersonator Who Scammed French Woman of €700,000 Tracked to Nigeria
A fraudster who duped a French woman out of nearly €700,000 by posing as Hollywood actor Brad Pitt has been traced to Nigeria, according to local media reports.
The scam came to light after victim Anne, a 53-year-old interior decorator, revealed how she had been conned out of €697,000, believing she was helping the actor with cancer treatment. The scammer used deepfake technology to create convincing images of Pitt and communicated with Anne for months, establishing a romantic relationship under false pretenses.
Marwan Ouarab, the founder of the website Find My Scammer, assisted Anne in tracking down the culprit. Ouarab successfully located the scammer’s identity and base of operations in Nigeria, using information provided by Anne. His team then employed a “booby-trapped link” to access the fraudster’s phone, which led to uncovering critical details about his operations.
Ouarab also revealed that the scammer, initially posing as Brad Pitt, had shifted his approach and was now impersonating actor Keanu Reeves in a bid to deceive new victims. “This is a small group, about three or four young people, who have caused significant damage. We found 34 victims on just one of the scammer’s devices,” Ouarab told the media.
Anne’s ordeal began when she received a message on social media from someone claiming to be Brad Pitt’s mother, followed by messages from an account posing as the actor himself. Over time, she was manipulated into believing she was in a genuine relationship with Pitt. The scammer continued to exploit her by claiming to need money for cancer treatment and other fabricated emergencies related to his divorce.
Anne eventually realized she had been scammed after seeing images of the actor with his new girlfriend in the news, which contradicted the claims made by the fraudster. She later reported the scam to the authorities, though it remains unclear if any of the stolen money has been recovered.
Following her public disclosure, Anne has been subjected to online harassment, with mocking comments and jokes circulating widely. Despite this, she continues to raise awareness about romance scams, which have caused considerable harm to many victims, particularly the elderly.
As for the scammer, Ouarab has shared the gathered evidence with Nigerian authorities and is working to ensure the individual is held accountable for his actions.
