Scammers Posing As Brad Pitt Pocketed $350,000

Modern scammers have been taking things to a whole new level these days. Some would say that technology is totally getting out of hand. Most recently, a group of imposters pretended to be Brad Pitt on the internet to swindle two women out of $350,000. This disturbing update might not be that shocking to avid social media users. That’s because most people who are active on social media is probably already aware that Brad doesn’t have profiles on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. Surprisingly, two women who got scammed unfortunately weren’t aware of that.

Details About The Brad Pitt Scammers

According to The New York Times, “The statement said the accused had contacted the women through an online fan page dedicated to Mr. Pitt and posed as the Oscar-winning American actor. The authorities said the accused had gone on to exchange instant messages and emails with their victims, who thought they were corresponding directly with Mr. Pitt.”

brad pitt on oprah — The Oprah Winfrey Show

Five fraudsters have been arrested in relation to this diabolical scam. But, how did the scammers successfully swindle so much money in the first place? It appears they preyed on women who were seeking romantic connections with Brad. One of the women reportedly sent $168,000 to the fraudsters. Comparatively, the other woman shelled out a whopping $195,500. Investigators are woking on recovering the funds, but so far, only $94,000 has been collected.

A representative for Brad told People, “It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities. This is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence.”

The Brad Pitt Scam Could Have Been Avoided

The creepy act of catfishing has been common practice ever since social media was initially launched. Catfishing is when a person pretends to be someone else on the internet for various different reasons. In some cases, catfishes simply want attention. They believe they’ll only be able to chat with certain people if they pose as someone more attractive than they are.

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In more vindictive scenarios, catfishes take on new personas for the purposes of theft and other cyber crimes. However, it’s every social media user’s responsibility to make smart decisions online. Vetting the people you’re talking to online is an absolute must. You can do this by requesting video calls to see what the other person actually looks like. If the other person always comes up with excuses for why they can’t hop on a video call, consider that a massive red flag.

What are your thoughts on the current drama surrounding these Brad Pitt wannabe scammers? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.