Brad Pitt romance scam

[TwistedWonder]

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/french-woman-faces-online-mockery-after-being-conned-out-of-700-000-by-fake-brad-pitt-13289657

First of all I want you to say that no one deserves to be scammed and I’m sorry this woman lost money but come on, how naive does someone have to be to fall for this?

The photos are so poor that surely anyone with eyes can see they’re fake. And since when did a A+ celebs mum contact randoms on SM?

To seriously think Brad Pitt can’t afford medical treatment and needs money sent to his American doctors Turkish bank account - words fail me.

There's a lot of lonely people out there giving money to so many scammers. It's a tidal wave. It plays on our tendency to stick with the first view we form and only pay attention to evidence that confirms it. And the huge depths of denial we will go into to protect our self view and avoid shame.

My Sister’s neighbour was convinced she was going to the airport to meet Keanu Reeves, there is no limit to the stupidity of some people.

I see that her daughter said that she tried to talk sense into her, but she wouldn't listen.

At the heart of any scam is gullibility & wanting it to be correct,suspending regular checks and balances. Getting embroiled in the thing you want eg companionship.affirmation,love. Getting caught up in the love is worth fighting for, you have to overcome adversity and health emergency together

I imagine she’s lonely,sensitised after a divorce and this was exciting and appealing (if misguided)

I saw a program on this sort of thing a couple of years ago, one of the women continued chatting to her ‘love interest /scammer’ even after she’d found out he wasn’t genuine & just after her money. She said she was so lonely she’d come to rely on & look forward to his messages.

I can see exactly how people fall for it, especially older generations who didn't have this technology or grow up with it. When people said who they were, that's who they were and the odd rogue didn't have the facility to scam people online for thousands of pounds.

You're doing exactly the right thing asking your mum to ring you before sending anything anywhere. Non-judgemental and caring.

Heckling and mocking someone - apart from making them sound like a knob - will make people avoid letting anyone know, before, during and after. That is a tragedy waiting to happen.

It is pretty stupid. I think a lot of people don't have sympathy for these women as its just idiotic.

Blimey Applecharm25 I had to check that you were the same poster I just replied to. No empathy there after all.

Why would I have empathy for that woman exactly?

She didn't have to give 700 000 of her money to anyone. She chose to do it.

But that's exactly what scammers rely on. They don't need everyone to believe them, after all - one person is enough.

Millions of vulnerable and mentally unwell or challenged people have access to the internet - all it takes is for you to "get" one of them and that's it, really.

I never hear about it with men? Generally I don't think men "fall in love" in that manner. They usually just want sex and make sure they're getting it before handing over money

I feel very sorry for her. The article says she was suffering from severe depression. She must have been in a particularly bad way to fall for this. Yes it was an unimaginably stupid thing to do, I hope she can make peace with it.

I mean she was dafter than most. To send hundreds of thousands of pounds to a multi millionaire celebrity.

But the point is - why should I have empathy for that woman?

She chose to do it.

I actually had a fake Keanu reeves account message me, asking me for money.

I refused.

I also had another scammer ask me for money online. I refused.

We are responsible for what we do

Maybe just be glad it wasn't you, not your mum, not anyone else who matters to you?

It's such a complex thing. People get scammed all the time it just depends on which person has the misfortune to be in a certain place, at a certain time - and be scooped up just right by a scammer.

Love/delusion whatever you want to call it, is blind. Look at the relationships board here for eleventy-million examples - and then count your lucky stars if you're not a victim of a scammer.

I can't understand the glee (not aimed at you) but on this thread generally. Why is it such a joyful thing to see someone (a woman as well), in hospital and financially ruined? People talk about how lacking in intelligence these victims are but are completely oblivious to their own very obvious inadequacies.

I'm not saying she wasn't, but I imagine a lot of people who are scammed would give more money if they had it. The only reason this woman was able to hand over so much was because she was a multi-millionaire.

She sounds barking mad to me, with more money than sense. Surely it would be in the papers if Brad Pitt was on death’s door?

I would never send money to anyone I didn't know online.

You're missing a point: in that she had responsibility in this.

She abused herself. People don't have sympathy for people like that.

I would never send money to anyone I didn't know online.

You simply can't know that. People with severe mental health issues or cognitive difficulties often do things like this - they don't understand that it's not genuine and take what they're told by these people completely literally.

There's a reason why "diminished responsibility" exists in law. Because lots of people genuinely don't understand that what they are doing is stupid or wrong.

God, some of you are something else on here.
Would hate to have your mindsets. You have all must have lived an incredibly sheltered life to believe she's just been "stupid".
There's clearly more to this than meets the eye in terms of her mental state.
Like I said up thread - grooming can happen to anyone by anyone regardless of age or sex.

I still think she was an idiot.

And you cant just say - oh it was mental health issues. She had depression. Lots of people have depession. My brother has had severe depression for his entire life. He has still never sent money to anyone online.

People have to take personal responsibility for themselves. It sounds like she had more money than sense aswell. She was just throwing her money away

Let's hope you're never in a vulnerable situation and do something stupid at any point in your life then 👍

Maybe we are entitled to our opinion?

Some women need to take responsibility for themselves.

I'll write to you now -

"Hi captainbeanthief. This is brad Pitt here. I'm a bit broke after my divorce to Angelina.

I also have just been told yesterday that I have cancer. Will you send me 50,000 pounds right now for cancer treatment? Here is my Turkish bank account number "

Will you send me the money?

I never have and I never will thanks .

I will never send money to anyone online.

I'm not a fool

Are banks or police able to trace money on these cases? I guess the Turkish bank account might be held in a fraudulent name but where does the money go from there? Can they just find it and get it back? He can't have withdrawn 700 grand out in cash can he?