Berliner Tageblatt - France launches probe into AI Brad Pitt scam

The police are trying to locate the accounts that received the transfers from the French woman, who has lodged a complaint in the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, a police source said on Friday.

The woman, named only as Anne, told the TF1 channel that she had believed she was in a romantic relationship with the Hollywood heartthrob, leading her to divorce her husband and transfer 830,000 euros ($850,000).

The scammers used fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, as well as AI image-creating technology to send Anne what appeared to be selfies and messages from Pitt.

Anne, a 53-year-old interior decorator, spent a year and half believing she was communicating with Pitt and only realised she had been scammed when news emerged of Pitt's real-life relationship with girlfriend Ines de Ramon.

Since last autumn Anne has been in touch with Marwan Ouarab, the founder of the FindmyScammer.com website, in a bid to find the fraudsters.

According to French daily Le Parisien, which quoted Ouarab, the scammers -- three men in their 20s -- are located in Nigeria.

"We would love for Interpol to take up the case," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

The woman has faced a wave of online harassment and mockery after the interview was broadcast, leading the programme to be withdrawn.

A representative for Pitt, 61, has warned fans to be wary of impersonation scams.

"It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities," a spokesperson for the "Fight Club" actor told US outlet Entertainment Weekly this week.

O.Krause--BTB