Marrakech – Spanish police have swooped in to arrest five suspects accused of scamming two women by posing as the Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt online.
The suspects connected with the women on a fan site dedicated to the Oscar-winning actor, convincing them they were in a romantic relationship with him.
Spain’s Guardia Civil police reported that these con artists successfully scammed the victims out of a jaw-dropping €325,000, proving that sometimes love comes with a price tag.
Posing as Pitt, the gang members allegedly sweet-talked the women into investing in various non-existent projects.
With charm and deception, they spun a tale so convincing that the victims thought they were making a smart investment.
“The cybercriminals, to capture the victims, had studied their social networks and made a psychological profile of them,” police revealed.
They targeted two vulnerable women, both in need of affection and grappling with feelings of depression.
One woman from Andalusia fell victim to the scam, losing a staggering €175,000, while her counterpart from the northern Basque Country was defrauded of €150,000.
The scammers didn’t stop at just posing as Brad Pitt; they also utilized instant messaging platforms to keep the charade alive.
Through messages and emails, they created a false sense of intimacy, leading the women to believe they were chatting directly with the Hollywood star on WhatsApp.
With promises of romance and a future together, these con artists spun a web of deception that felt all too real.
Police swooped in on five suspects in the southern region of Andalusia, including the alleged ringleaders of this deceptive operation.
In a decisive operation, police raided five homes, seizing a trove of evidence, including mobile phones, bank cards, two computers, and a diary filled with the deceitful phrases used by the fraudsters.
Officers managed to recover €85,000 of the funds stolen from the two women, marking a significant win against a scheme that thrived on betrayal and false dreams.
