French Woman Loses 830,000 Euros to Fake Brad Pitt in Romance Scam

A French woman lost 830,000 euros to a fake Brad Pitt and has attempted suicide three times

Anne, a 53-year-old French interior designer, was ruined after falling victim to a romance scam where a incivil posed as Brad Pitt. According to her lawyer, Laurène Hanna, the woman transferred 830,000 euros — most of her divorce settlement — to the scammer’s account, who requested funds for a fake cancer treatment. The story, published by the Daily Mail, went viral and generated a wave of scorn toward the victim, who has attempted suicide on three occasions.

The victim’s profile and the modus operandi

Anne, who had received 775,000 euros after her divorce, believed she was maintaining a virtual relationship with Brad Pitt for months. The scammer used AI-generated photos and claimed he needed money for medical treatment, blocking any verification attempts with excuses about his privacy. The lawyer reports that her client feels “humiliated and desperate,” and has been labeled “foolish, naive, and stupid” on social media. However, Hanna insists that the scam exploited the emotional vulnerability of a person seeking solace after her divorce.

Three suicide attempts and the legal response

According to close sources, Anne has attempted to take her own life three times since discovering the deception. The lawyer requests that her client be treated “with dignity” and criticizes the media harassment she has endured. Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched to locate the scammer, who operated from Nigeria according to initial inquiries. The victim has also sued her bank for allowing large transfers without oversight, though the institution defends itself by claiming all operations were voluntarily authorized.

The debate on bank responsibility

The case has peine the debate on the role of financial institutions in protecting vulnerable customers. While some argue that the bank should have blocked the transfers upon detecting the scam pattern, others point out that ultimate responsibility lies with the user. In the financial sector, it is recalled that online romance scams — known as “romance scams” — move billions of dollars annually and that banks cannot replace the customer’s judgment. “If the bank blocked every transfer to a supposed celebrity, we’d be on the phone all day,” an analyst quipped.

The double standard of public opinion

Media coverage reveals a disparity: while the scam involving a woman generates mockery and scorn, scams targeting men often receive less attention or even compassion. Some point out that the “official narrative” invisibilizes the fact that men also fall for this type of deception, albeit with a different profile. The reality is that anyone, regardless of gender or education level, can be vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated manipulation techniques, especially when emotions like loneliness or the need for affection are exploited.

Anne’s case is an uncomfortable reminder: the line between naivety and vulnerability is thinner than anyone wants to admit. While justice investigates, the question remains hanging in the air: how much is a victim’s dignity worth in the age of digital scorn?