“Brad Pitt” Scams Two Women Out Of Over $350k
Okay, so you’re Brad Pitt. That did impress two women very much, who thought they were in a romance with the Oscar-winner. Instead, they were in a relationship with five scammers, who found money, not love, with the (literally) poor ladies.
By Bram Teitelman · September 30, 2024
Disclaimer: While this article is based on a Curious Case of Facts, it does also contain a Snatch of satire.
If there’s one thing that you can count on, it’s that mega-successful movie stars are just like us. In between filming blockbuster movies and jetting around to film festivals, they like to take some time out to look for romance. Take Brad Pitt, for example. After marrying and divorcing Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, it’s natural that he’d want something a bit more low-key next time. I mean, why to meet your next romantic partner by starring in a movie with them when you can reach out on WhatsApp to find them, right?
At least that’s what two women thought after being contacted by “Brad.” And hey, even if you haven’t met the guy in real life yet, you feel like you know him from his movies and the constant chats on the world’s most popular messaging service. And if you’re going to be in a romantic relationship with someone of that stature, you’ll want to do things together, like talk about your hopes and dreams, make plans for the future, and, of course, give the multi-millionaire your money to invest with them. That’s perfectly normal, right? Unfortunately, the two women gave “Brad” a combined €325,000, which is about $364,000. One, from Andalusia, handed over €175,000 while the other gave, who they thought was Pitt, €150,000. They were shocked to find that they handed over their hard-earned dollars to five scammers, none of whom had won an Academy Award.
Spanish police eventually made a Pitt stop, and by that, we mean stopped the criminals pretending to be the actor and arrested them. The authorities raided five separate homes, finding mobile phones, bank cards, computers, and a diary containing phrases that they’d used to cheat the women, both 60, out of their money. One such missive read, “My love for you is true. Feeling from my heart and forever, please forgive me and accept me … it is because I love you and am very much in love with you,” which doesn’t sound like anything anyone would actually say ever. Pitt’s publicist told the New York Times that Pitt was unaware of the scam, and doesn’t even have a social media presence.
The sad thing is that the criminals were able to maintain that both women were emotionally vulnerable and depressed, which made them easier to exploit. If there’s any silver lining to this, it’s that they recovered €85,000, which is sadly a mere pittance. If there’s any moral to this story (and there really isn’t), it’s that:
You should perhaps not assume a huge celebrity is hitting on you. Only start romantic relationships with medium-sized celebrities.
WhatsApp? That’s almost as lame as Brad Pitt hitting on you through LinkedIn. Only accept celebrity messages on TikTok and Instagram, so you know it’s real.
You probably shouldn’t give money to anyone famous unless they’re asking in a cute way, like both Presidential candidates or Sarah McLachlan in those animal videos.