By now, you’ve probably already giggled at the insane AI Brad Pitt artwork making its way around Twitter. Although I’ve literally never used Photoshop before, I’m confident I could create more realistic Brad hospital pics than these in roughly 10 minutes. But to an untrained eye, these AI photos were very convincing and super dangerous. A 53-year-old French woman named Anne just lost her life savings — more than €800k — to a fake Brad after falling for a classic social media scam. After the catfish convinced her they were in a relationship, Anne divorced her husband and sent the fake Brad money for “kidney cancer treatment.” Now, she’s left with nothing.

The photos are hilarious, but the story’s kinda depressing… Here’s how a Brad Pitt catfish scammed Anne out of more than €800k.

Brad Pitt Catfish Scheme Explained

How A French Woman Got Scammed Out Of €800k By A Fake Brad Pitt

It all started in February 2023 when Anne received a message from a “Jane Etta Pitt,” someone pretending to be Brad’s mom. Apparently, this person told Anne she’d be a great match for Brad. Shortly after that, Anne was contacted by the fake Brad, who told her that he had kidney cancer. They began to chat regularly, and Anne says she thought she “had someone who showed interest in me and my work.” She added, “I loved the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women.” In addition to messaging, the scammer also sent her (ridiculous) AI-generated photos of “Brad” in a hospital.

According to The Irish Examiner, the catfish claimed he was buying her fancy gifts and told her she’d need to pay for customs on the items. And she did. They also said they needed treatment for cancer, and their accounts were not accessible due to the then-ongoing lawsuit with Brad’s ex-wife, Angelina Jolie. When the scammer asked Anne to borrow money for that, she obliged.

The Brad catfish even asked her to marry them, per the Irish newspaper. Anne then divorced her husband and gave the fake Brad her settlement of more than €800,000 before realizing she was being scammed.

Admittedly, I am dying laughing at these AI “Brad” photos, but I really feel for this poor woman. (I have several older family members who would also definitely fall for this.) “I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this,” she told the French network TF1. “I’ve never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell.” I’m with you, Anne.

There have been many previous incidents of Brad Pitt catfishes, so make sure the Gen X and Boomer folks in your life know to block those bitches.