Five People Arrested After Posing as Brad Pitt in Online Scam

Five people have been arrested after posing as Brad Pitt online and scamming two women out of $350,000.

According to Variety, Spanish authorities revealed that the culprits have been charged with fraud, money laundering and forgery charges.

Spain's Interior Ministry made the announcement on Sept. 23.

Three of the scammers were already in custody in Nov. 2023 while two more were apprehended in July.

The statement also noted that the scammers were under investigation in connection to a "criminal organization," per People.

"The statement said the accused had contacted the women through an online fan page dedicated to Mr. Pitt and posed as the Oscar-winning American actor. The authorities said the accused had gone on to exchange instant messages and emails with their victims, who thought they were corresponding directly with Mr. Pitt," The New York Times reported.

The statement added that the scammers "managed to make these women believe they had become so close to the well-known American actor that they believed they had a romantic relationship with him."

One woman reportedly sent the scammers $168,000 while another woman sent $195,500.

As part of the ongoing investigation, $94,000 has been recovered.

According to People, the scammers told the women that their money would be an investment in Pitt's future projects.

The women were around age 60 and were targeted because they seemingly lacked romantic relationships and appeared depressed, Time wrote.

"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," one of the criminals' handwritten letters read, via Time.

"It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities. But this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence," Pitt's publicist Matthew Hiltzik said in a statement, per Variety.