Fake 'Brad Pitt' promises romantic relationship, scams two women of ₹3 crore

In a shocking turn of events, Spanish police have apprehended five individuals for defrauding two women of €325,000 (over ₹3 crore) by posing as Hollywood icon Brad Pitt. The scammers contacted the victims through emails and WhatsApp messages, claiming romantic interest and luring them into investing in non-existent projects.

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The criminals, who first connected with the women via a Brad Pitt fan page, built a false sense of trust and used emotional manipulation to carry out their scam. They meticulously studied their victims’ online presence, particularly social networks, to identify vulnerable individuals.

Targeting vulnerable victims

Spanish authorities revealed that the fraudsters preyed upon women who were emotionally fragile and suffering from personal hardships. “The cybercriminals, to capture the victims, had studied their social networks and made a psychological profile of them, thus discovering that both women were vulnerable, lacking in affection, and in a state of depression,” Spain's Guardia Civil police told The Guardian.

One victim, hailing from Andalusia, was tricked out of €175,000 (around ₹2 crore), while the second victim, from the Basque Country, lost €150,000 (over ₹1 crore).

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Police raid and seizure

Following an extensive investigation, Spanish police made arrests in Andalusia and raided several homes, recovering crucial evidence. During the raids, they seized mobile phones, computers, bank cards, and even a diary containing phrases used to deceive the victims. The operation spanned multiple provinces, including Almería, Málaga, Vizcaya, Barcelona, Granada, Madrid, Huelva, and Seville.

Fortunately, authorities managed to recover €85,000 (approximately ₹80,000), offering some relief to the defrauded women.

Wider trend of celebrity scams

This case is not isolated. Earlier in January, a 63-year-old woman fell prey to a similar scam involving fraudsters posing as Hollywood actor Kevin Costner. After following a Facebook page that she believed belonged to the actor, she received messages asking her to purchase a £100 voucher to become an “official Costner fan.”