[00:00:03] Speaker A: Welcome to behind the Scams, the podcast that helps you protect yourself from scammers, fraudsters and con artists. I'm Nick, the founder of the nonprofit scam prevention organization Stamp Out Scams. And your host of behind the Scams.
[00:00:20] Speaker B: And I'm Sue. Today we've got an absolutely wild story for you that proves truth really is stranger than fiction. So stay tuned to find out more. It's a fascinating story, but it has many lessons for us all to learn.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: You are correct, Sue. Having a nonprofit scam prevention organization, we see and hear about a lot of scam and cons from all over the world. We get information on scams through emails sent to our website, Google Alerts, and on our 24.7scam news feed on our Scam News page. I must admit, every day I am astounded by not only the number of scams, but also the level of creativity scammers take to steal people's money. But I must admit, the scam we will be talking about today is as crazy of a scam as I have ever heard. It truly takes the cake. This scam garnered worldwide attention. It got this broad attention for a couple of reasons. First, the dollar loss was staggering. And secondly, the scammer used a celebrity name that is known worldwide.
[00:01:31] Speaker B: Okay, Nick, if I already didn't know about this scam, you would have got my attention. So I guess I should pretend I am surprised, but I am a terrible actor. My Oscar worthy performance is still pending. So I guess I will just have to agree with you that. That this story is just plain crazy. It's like finding out your cat has been secretly running a dog walking business on the side.
[00:01:55] Speaker A: Yes, it is just that crazy. So let's cut to the chase. We're going to tell you about a French woman who lost an astounding $850,000 to someone pretending to be. Wait for it. Brad Pitt.
[00:02:11] Speaker B: That's right, listeners. This isn't a movie plot. This is a real life story about how celebrity impersonation scams can devastate lives. Our victim, Ann, thought she was in a romantic relationship with one of Hollywood's biggest stars.
[00:02:27] Speaker A: Now, many listeners have probably heard about this scam.
And while it might be easy to think, I would never fall for that, the tactics these scammers use is incredibly sophisticated. They prey on emotions and vulnerabilities in ways that can make anyone a potential target.
[00:02:47] Speaker B: So stick around as we unpack this incredible story and share some crucial tips to help you avoid falling victim to similar scams. Even though the story is Fascinating. It has many lessons for listeners to help them in avoiding similar scams.
[00:03:05] Speaker A: That's right, Sue. Believe it or not, celebrity impersonation scams are a huge problem.
In fact, recent reports indicate that these scams have increased by over 50% in the past year alone, affecting thousands of unsuspecting fans worldwide.
The financial losses from these scams are staggering, with victims losing millions of dollars collectively. Celebrity impersonation scams are a huge problem right now. So let's start by looking at the bigger picture of celebrity impersonation scams. They've exploded in recent years, especially with the rise of social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
[00:03:50] Speaker B: That's right, Nick. Believe it or not, according to recent data, these scams have increased by over 1000% in the past five years alone. The Federal Trade Commission reports that victims lost more than $2 billion to romance scams in 2022. And celebrity impersonation made up a significant portion of those cases. Just how do these scams work, Nick? And why are they so successful?
[00:04:18] Speaker A: So here's how these scams typically work. The scammer creates a fake profile using a celebrity's name and photos. They often claim their real account is private or secret and that they're reaching out to special fans. And they're getting more sophisticated. Some scammers now use AI to create convincing voice messages or even video calls that appear to be from the celebrity. They'll often have elaborate stories about why they need to keep the relationship secret.
[00:04:50] Speaker B: You know, what's particularly interesting is that it's not just romantic relationships they're after. Some scammers pose as celebrities asking for charitable donations or claiming fans have won prizes.
[00:05:03] Speaker A: Right? And here's a shocking less than 1% of celebrities actually reach out to fans directly through social media. If a celebrity seems to be messaging you out of the blue, that should be your first red flag.
The most targeted celebrities tend to be those with strong fan bases and public Personas of being generous or charitable. We're talking about stars like Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, or Taylor Swift. And to answer your question, sue, what makes these scams so effective is that they play on people's emotions. Who wouldn't want to believe that their favorite celebrity noticed them or wants to help them? These scammers are masters at psychological manipulation. They study their target celebrities carefully, learning their mannerisms, public statements, and personal histories to make their impersonation more convincing. Now, let's talk about Anne, the victim at the center of our story today. She's a 53 year old French interior designer who found herself in an incredibly vulnerable position when this scam began.
[00:06:13] Speaker B: That's right, Nick. Before all this happened, Anne had built a successful career in interior design. She had an eye for beauty and was particularly skilled at transforming spaces. But her personal life was going through some major turbulence. She was in the middle of divorcing her husband, who was nearly 20 years her senior and quite wealthy. That's the kind of life transition that can really shake someone's emotional foundation.
[00:06:44] Speaker A: Absolutely. Anne later described feeling incredibly lonely during this period. Despite her professional success, the divorce left her feeling emotionally vulnerable and questioning her self worth.
[00:06:57] Speaker B: It's interesting how scammers seem to have a sixth sense for finding people during these vulnerable moments. Anne was essentially the perfect target. Successful enough to have significant financial resources, but emotionally vulnerable due to her personal circumstances. And let's be honest, who wouldn't want a little escape from reality? During a difficult divorce, Anne was dealing with lawyers, property divisions, and all the emotional baggage that comes with ending a long term relationship.
[00:07:29] Speaker A: You're right, Sue. The timing really couldn't have been worse or better from the scammer's perspective. Here was a woman with means looking for connection and maybe even a little validation during one of the lowest points in her life.
[00:07:45] Speaker B: And that's exactly what made her susceptible to what came next.
When you're in that kind of emotional state, even things that might normally seem suspicious can start to look like a lifeline.
[00:07:58] Speaker A: The way this scammer first made contact with Anne was actually quite clever. Instead of immediately pretending to be Brad Pitt, they approached her posing as Jane Etta Pitt, Brad's mother.
[00:08:11] Speaker B: That's such an interesting detail, Nick. By starting with the mother figure, the scammer created this sense of personal connection without immediately raising red flags. It's much easier to believe you might get a message from a celebrity's mother than the celebrity themselves.
[00:08:29] Speaker A: Good point, Sue. The initial message was carefully crafted to seem warm and personal. The scammer had clearly done their research about Brad Pitt's family, using real details to make the approach seem more authentic. And once Anne responded, things escalated quickly. The fake Jane Etta created this bridge to Brad himself. And soon Anne was receiving what she believed were direct messages from Brad Pitt. The messages started coming frequently. And they weren't just casual conversations. The scammer sent elaborate love letters and original poetry that really played into Anne's romantic nature.
[00:09:09] Speaker B: Some of these messages were incredibly sophisticated, Nick. Ann later said, there are few men who write to you like that. The scammer knew exactly how to make her feel special and understood. From what I have read, the poetry was particularly effective. These weren't just generic love poems. They were personalized, mentioning specific details about Anne's life and her feelings about the divorce she was going through.
[00:09:38] Speaker A: And let's remember this went on for 18 months. That's a long time to maintain such an intense level of romantic communication. The scammer was patient, building trust day by day, message by message.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: So what started as seemingly innocent messages from Brad's mother eventually turned into daily conversations, declarations of love, and even a marriage proposal. The scammer created this whole fantasy world that Anne could escape into.
[00:10:13] Speaker A: Yes, that is exactly how it went down. So let's talk about this tactic that was critical in this scam. It is something that is not new in the world of romance scams. It is a tactic called love bombing. It's a manipulation technique where someone overwhelms their target with excessive attention, affection, and romantic gestures. The fake Brad Pitt was a master at love bombing. He would send Ann multiple messages every day, each one more romantic than the last.
We're talking about deep emotional declarations of love, promises of a future together, and constant validation.
[00:10:57] Speaker B: Wow, Nick. The scammer really understood the psychology behind it. They knew that this constant stream of attention would create an addictive cycle. Anne would start craving these messages, waiting eagerly for the next romantic poem or love letter.
[00:11:14] Speaker A: That's right. That is why the marriage proposal was particularly calculated. I mean, imagine being proposed to by someone you believe is Brad Pitt. The scammer knew this would make Anne feel incredibly special and deepen her emotional investment.
[00:11:31] Speaker B: It sounds like the messages were specifically designed to make her feel like she was living in a fairy tale. I mean, the scammer would write things like, you're the only one who truly understands me, and I've never felt this way about anyone before. What man or woman wouldn't love hearing something like that?
[00:11:51] Speaker A: And what makes love bombing so effective is that it creates this intense emotional dependency. Anne began to base her whole sense of self worth on these interactions. When someone's flooding you with that much attention and affection, it becomes almost impossible to think clearly. The scammer also used the classic isolation technique within their love bombing strategy. They encouraged Ann to keep their relationship private, claiming it was to avoid media attention. This made it harder for her to get outside perspective on what was happening.
[00:12:28] Speaker B: So all these romantic messages and grand gestures were really just setting the stage for the financial requests that would come later. By the time the scammers started asking for money, Anne was already Emotionally hooked. And once the scammer had Ann emotionally invested through all that love bombing, the scammers started laying the groundwork for their real objective. Getting her money right.
[00:12:54] Speaker A: And they used one of the most emotionally manipulative stories possible. They told Anne that Brad was suffering from kidney cancer and needed urgent treatment. The way they structured these requests was particularly calculated. They didn't immediately ask for huge sums. It started with smaller amounts for things like customs fees for supposed gifts he was sending her.
[00:13:17] Speaker B: Interesting, Nick, because the initial requests were around 9,200. Not small amounts by any means, but compared to what would come later. They were just testing the waters, right?
[00:13:27] Speaker A: That's right. The scammer knew exactly how to escalate things. Once they saw Ann was willing to help with smaller amounts, they started spinning more elaborate stories about needing money for cancer treatments and medical emergencies.
[00:13:43] Speaker B: So because Anne was so emotionally invested at this point, she didn't question why a wealthy celebrity like Brad Pitt would need money for medical treatment. The scammer had already created this narrative about keeping their relationship private, so she believed she was the only one who could help him, who could.
[00:14:04] Speaker A: Unfortunately, that's correct, and the numbers are just staggering. Over the course of 18 months, Anne sent this scammer more than $850,000, her entire life savings and then some.
[00:14:15] Speaker B: What's particularly heartbreaking, Nick, is that she was going through a divorce at the time. So this was money she really needed for her own future. But she was so convinced that she was helping the love of her life that she kept sending more and more.
[00:14:32] Speaker A: Yes, a very calculated move on the scammer's part. And each time she sent money, the scammer would respond with even more intense declarations of love and gratitude, reinforcing her belief that she was doing the right thing.
[00:14:48] Speaker B: This sounds a lot like the whole thing was a masterclass in psychological manipulation. They created this perfect storm of emotional vulnerability, urgency, and secrecy, making it almost impossible for Anne to see what was happening. This scam really sounds like a lot of the romance scam tactics that we hear about directly from victims who have reached out to us through our website.
[00:15:15] Speaker A: Very sad, but very true. But in this case, the truth finally came crashing down for Anne in the most unexpected way. Through celebrity news, of all things. That's right. She saw photos of the real Brad Pitt with his new partner, Ines de Ramon. And suddenly, her whole world started unraveling.
[00:15:36] Speaker B: Nick, can you imagine that moment, seeing the person you thought you were in an intimate relationship with, clearly living a completely different life? What a Complete shock.
[00:15:48] Speaker A: Well, this scammer was well prepared for being possibly confronted with news about Brad Pitt's real new romance with Ines Ramon.
After all, he is an international superstar and his love life seems to be world news and of intense interest.
[00:16:05] Speaker B: You're right, Nick. We've been hearing about his divorce for years now. So the world has been eagerly awaiting him finding love again. I am sure there were plenty of eager female volunteers out there. So just what did this scammer do?
[00:16:19] Speaker A: When Anne did read that Pitt had a girlfriend, the scammer went right to work. He sent Ann a fake television report denying that Pitt and she were together.
[00:16:29] Speaker B: This story just shows how organized and ready scammers are. Their deceptive skills should never be underestimated. However, sometimes their photoshopping skills don't equal their ingenuity. The fake photos used by the scammer left something to be desired. It wouldn't take a professional photographer to determine that they had been photoshopped poorly. Photoshopped at the very least.
[00:16:56] Speaker A: That's right, Sue. They are trained at what they're doing and know how to deceive. You are on the money about their photoshop skills. Many romance scams have poorly crafted, edited photos. These poor quality photoshopped pictures should be a huge red flag. Many of these scammers come from poor countries like West Africa and locations throughout Asia. So scamming is all they know how to do. And many times scammers have no other source of income. This is what they do for a living. But they also lack good quality photo editing software and photo editing skills simply because they lack the resources or training.
[00:17:40] Speaker B: Yes, Nick, these are real facts about scammers. Also, many of them are held in scam farms where they are starved and beaten unless they have good stats when it comes to pulling off scams.
[00:17:51] Speaker A: Great point, Sue. Scam farms are organized operations where multiple scammers work together in a structured environment to defraud victims. These operations can range from small informal groups to large scale criminal enterprises with call centers, scripts and training for scammers.
[00:18:13] Speaker B: Yes, and from what I have learned, scam farms are often based in countries where law enforcement oversight is weak or corrupt.
[00:18:21] Speaker A: Right again, Sue. And you know what makes this already crazy story just a little crazier?
Last year, police In Spain arrested five people accused of scamming two women out of €325,000 in a separate pit related fraud. The suspects are accused of contacting the victims claiming to be pit and saying they wanted to invest in business projects with them. In France, about 12,000 people are believed to have fallen victim to online romance scams last year.
[00:18:54] Speaker B: Boy, this story does just keep getting crazier and crazier. How did our victim, Anne, take all this? To say the least, it had to be very, very, very difficult for her.
[00:19:04] Speaker A: It would be for anyone. It's an understatement to say that the impact was devastating for her. After 18 months of believing she was in a relationship with Brad Pitt, after sending more than $850,000, the reality hit her hard.
[00:19:20] Speaker B: What makes this even more sad is that her daughter had been warning her all along. But Anne had been so deeply convinced, she kept telling her family, you'll see when he's here in person. Then you'll say, sorry, yeah, as if.
[00:19:36] Speaker A: This story couldn't get any sadder, right? But, sue, this happens a lot in romance scams. Victims don't want their love balloons to pop. They are so wrapped up emotionally, not to mention financially, that they refuse to listen to others.
[00:19:53] Speaker B: But the emotional toll was so severe, Anne had to be hospitalized for depression after realizing the extent of the deception. Is this something that happens often?
[00:20:04] Speaker A: Well, unfortunately, it is. In fact, the emotional toll romance scams have on their victims can be devastating, even deadly. Some victims are so ashamed, embarrassed, and left with a feeling of hopelessness, they resort to suicide.
[00:20:22] Speaker B: This is so sad to hear. You know, one of the most heartbreaking things that I heard the victim had said was that she had never harmed anyone and that these people deserve hell. When I heard her say this in an interview, you could really hear the pain and betrayal in her words.
[00:20:41] Speaker A: That is really so sad. But you know what? It wasn't just the money she lost, though that was substantial. It was the complete shattering of this relationship. She thought she had this future she had imagined for herself.
The whole experience left her questioning everything. Her judgment, her worth, why she had been targeted. That's what these scammers do. They don't just take your money. They destroy your ability to trust.
[00:21:11] Speaker B: And sadly, just like you mention, many victims of these scams feel too embarrassed to come forward or seek help. The fact that Anne shared her story is actually quite brave. Even though it came at such a high personal cost.
[00:21:27] Speaker A: Exactly right. That is why we now need to talk about how our listeners can protect themselves from falling victim to similar scams. Because while Anne's story is heartbreaking, it's also a powerful learning opportunity. The first and most important rule is celebrities rarely, if ever, reach out to fans directly on social media. If you get a message claiming to be from a celebrity that should be your first red flag.
[00:21:57] Speaker B: And remember, most major celebrities have verified accounts with blue check marks. They're not going to contact you from a brand new account or one with just a few followers.
[00:22:07] Speaker A: So true. And another crucial point. If someone online, celebrity or not, starts asking for money, that's an immediate red flag. It doesn't matter what the reason is. Medical expenses, charity donations, or custom fees for gifts.
[00:22:24] Speaker B: Nick, the love bombing technique must be another warning sign. If someone's coming on incredibly strong with romantic messages, poems and declarations of love right away, be very suspicious.
[00:22:39] Speaker A: Love bombing is absolutely a red flag.
As usual, these scammers often create a sense of urgency or secrecy. They'll say things like, don't tell anyone about our special relationship, or I need the money right away.
And here's a practical Do a reverse image search of any photos they send you. Scammers often use publicly available photos or AI generated images.
[00:23:05] Speaker B: Most importantly, talk to your friends and family. If they're expressing concern, don't dismiss it. Sometimes when we're emotionally involved, we need that outside perspective.
[00:23:15] Speaker A: That's right. And if you're ever unsure, remember that legitimate celebrities have official channels of communication through their publicists and management teams. They don't need to ask fans for money or help. And as we say in the world of scam prevention is this. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
No matter how lonely or vulnerable you might be feeling, sending money to someone you've never met in person is extremely risky.
[00:23:47] Speaker B: And if you do fall victim to a scam, don't be ashamed to reach out for help. Contact law enforcement and report it. You're not alone, and it's not your fault. These scammers are professionals at manipulation.
[00:24:01] Speaker A: Well, sue, what a heartbreaking story this has been. Anne's experience really shows how sophisticated these scammers have become.
[00:24:09] Speaker B: It certainly does, nick. And while $850,000 is a staggering amount to lose, the emotional damage can be even more devastating. So let's recap the key takeaways for our listeners.
Real celebrities don't randomly reach out to fans asking for money or help.
[00:24:29] Speaker A: Number two, never send money to someone you haven't met in person, no matter how convincing their story might be.
[00:24:35] Speaker B: And number three, if your loved ones are expressing concern about an online relationship, take their warnings seriously.
[00:24:43] Speaker A: We hope Anne's story serves as a wake up call. Remember, these scammers are professionals who prey on emotions and vulnerability.
[00:24:51] Speaker B: That's right. And if you think you might be involved with a scammer, it's never too late to step back and get help. You can always reach out to law enforcement or visit our
[email protected] for resources. We have a whole webpage devoted to where victims can report report almost any type of scam.
[00:25:12] Speaker A: That's right, Sue. Visitors can also ask our AI chatbot Sam a simple question like where do I report a romance scam? It will give users an immediate response. You will find him smiling in the bottom right hand corner of each page of our site.
[00:25:29] Speaker B: Another good public resource is the aarp. They provide scam prevention tips specifically for older adults, a common target of romance scams.
[00:25:40] Speaker A: Yes, the AARP is a fantastic resource. On that note, it's time to conclude today's podcast. Thanks for joining us for another episode of behind the Scams. Stay safe out there. And remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
[00:25:57] Speaker B: We'll catch you soon with another story that might just save your wallet and your heart. Stay safe, stay smart, and stay scam free.
