Five people arrested on suspicion of impersonating Brad Pitt and defrauding fans of approximately 52 million yen online – “Brad Pitt does not use SNS” | THE RIVER

Five people have been arrested in Spain on suspicion of defrauding two women of approximately 325,000 euros (approximately 52 million yen) by impersonating actor Brad Pitt, it has been revealed. This is reported by The New York Times.

According to a statement released by Spanish authorities, three of the five suspects were arrested in November 2023 and two in July 2024, and the attack is believed to be an organized crime. The suspects exchanged messages and emails with female fans through Pitt's fan page, and the two victims believed they were communicating directly with Pitt himself.

The suspects then demanded money from the women, with one woman in Bilbao, northern Spain, sending a total of 150,000 euros (approximately 24 million yen), and another woman living in Granada remitting 175,000 euros (approximately 28 million yen). ) was sent. Approximately 85,000 euros (approximately 13.7 million yen) was recovered as part of the investigation. Spanish police said the unnamed suspects face charges including fraud and money laundering.

Pitt spokesman Matthew Hilchick said he was unaware of the incident and noted that Pitt does not have official social media accounts. “It's terrible when scammers take advantage of fans who seek a strong connection with a celebrity. However, this case does not apply to unsolicited online contacts, especially those from actors who are not present on social media. This is an important warning not to comply.”

As his representative pointed out, Pitt does not have official accounts on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or TikTok. There are many reports of damage caused not only by Pit, but also by identity theft, so it is important to be careful.

Source:The New York Times