France launches probe into AI Brad Pitt scam / Photo: Rudy Carezzevoli - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
-
Niraj Kumar earns Los Angeles Olympic quota with 50m rifle bronze
-
Delhi gold loses Rs 800 while silver falls Rs 5,000
-
India extends micro-credit guarantee plan for five years
-
Madlanga Commission Deadline Extended to 2027 Amid Calls for Structural Justice Reform
-
Pradeep Antony, Smeha Manimegalai portray secret spouses in Mr & Mrs Office
-
Zelenskyy arrives in Dublin for meetings on Ukraine and peace efforts
-
Black Brazilian Musician Freed After Year in Detention Calls for Immigrant Solidarity
-
Woman barred from every Greggs outlet after series of offences
-
Jury hears social-media image helped identify teen in Scarlett Faulkner case
-
Ketchup packets link suspect to break-in at Eddie Rocket’s restaurant
-
American Airlines passenger falls ill and vomits on three travellers
-
Spain's General Strike Links Housing Crisis to Lost Purchasing Power
-
Euro-Area Inflation Reaches 4% as Energy Prices Jump
-
China's Factory Inflation Accelerates While Consumer Demand Stays Weak
-
US Adds 165,000 Jobs as Unemployment Falls to 4.1%
-
Bank of England Raises Interest Rate to 4% as Energy Risks Intensify
-
Energy Costs Push OECD Inflation Up to 4.5%
-
OPEC Says Oil Output Is Near Prewar Levels Despite Shipping Disruptions
-
China's Trade Surplus Passes $1 Trillion as Technology Exports Surge
-
China's Singles' Day Exposes Persistent Consumer Caution
-
US Inflation Broadens as Fed Officials Consider Faster Rate Hikes
-
Irish police prepare for further hoax bomb threats after hundreds of schools targeted
-
Korea, Singapore and New Zealand Advance Green Trade Pact Talks
-
RBA Inflation Target Origins: Why Australia Chose a Range Over Zero
-
Ireland and Ukraine consider drone cooperation memorandum after Dublin talks
-
Sister recounts fatal machete attack as Irish murder trial continues
-
Georgia refrigeration company sues EPA after five-year HFC reprieve
-
NEET’s Merit Promise Erodes as Cost and Time Barriers Rise for Medical Aspirants
-
Lakers Defeat Bucks 123-112 Amid Injury Concerns for Dončić and Reaves
-
HoloCoder technology promises brighter smartphone images and 3D depth data
-
The Good Daughter Streaming Guide: Release Date, Platforms, and Access
-
EU proposes broad consumer safeguards for apps, subscriptions and ticketing
-
Nvidia faces scrutiny over alleged Chinese intelligence link to Jensen Huang
-
Sophie Ellis-Bextor Announces 2027 Christmas Kitchen Disco Tour with Birmingham Stop
-
Radical Numerics develops offline AI tool to detect engineered pathogens
-
Chennai orders inquiry after dogs die at shelter; two veterinarians face action
-
Startup turns Chennai’s history and culture into an interactive world
-
Four firms compete to design Chennai’s model mobility corridors
-
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon Dr. Thomas Pane Discusses When Liposuction May Be Considered for Lipedema
-
NuRAN Wireless Highlights Recurring Revenue Economics and Growth Potential of Its 5,092-Tower Contracted NaaS Portfolio
-
GameSquare Announces Peaky Blinders Digital Fan Experience, Advancing the Company's IP Monetization Strategy
-
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping Backs Xycota Biosciences' Low-Dose Psilocybin Research on PTSD and Concussion
-
SMX Bridges AI and Industrial Material Science With New Intelligence Platform
-
PodcastOne (NASDAQ:PODC) Reports Record 1H & Q2 Fiscal 2027 Financial Results; 1H Fiscal 2027 Revenue of $31.5M and Adjusted EBITDA* of $2.9M
-
Moderna Outlines Next Phase of Growth at Analyst Day
-
Ondas Posts Record Q3 2026 Revenue of $167.5 Million on Strong Bookings and Backlog Growth; Raises Full-Year Outlook
-
LiveOne (NASDAQ:LVO) Reports H1 Fiscal 2027 Revenue of $37.3M and Audio Division Revenue of $36.3M with Over $7.8M Adjusted EBITDA*
-
Bloomia Holdings, Inc. Announces September 30, 2026 Financial Results
-
Greene Concepts Advances Bulk Water and Co-Packing Strategy
-
Amarc and Freeport Successfully Complete 2026 Joy Copper-Gold District Exploration Program
France launches probe into AI Brad Pitt scam
Authorities in France's La Reunion have launched a probe to identify fraudsters who scammed a woman out of 830,000 euros by making her believe she had an online relationship with Brad Pitt.
The police are trying to locate the accounts that received the transfers from the French woman, who has lodged a complaint in the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, a police source said on Friday.
The woman, named only as Anne, told the TF1 channel that she had believed she was in a romantic relationship with the Hollywood heartthrob, leading her to divorce her husband and transfer 830,000 euros ($850,000).
The scammers used fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, as well as AI image-creating technology to send Anne what appeared to be selfies and messages from Pitt.
Anne, a 53-year-old interior decorator, spent a year and half believing she was communicating with Pitt and only realised she had been scammed when news emerged of Pitt's real-life relationship with girlfriend Ines de Ramon.
Since last autumn Anne has been in touch with Marwan Ouarab, the founder of the FindmyScammer.com website, in a bid to find the fraudsters.
According to French daily Le Parisien, which quoted Ouarab, the scammers -- three men in their 20s -- are located in Nigeria.
"We would love for Interpol to take up the case," the newspaper quoted him as saying.
The woman has faced a wave of online harassment and mockery after the interview was broadcast, leading the programme to be withdrawn.
A representative for Pitt, 61, has warned fans to be wary of impersonation scams.
"It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities," a spokesperson for the "Fight Club" actor told US outlet Entertainment Weekly this week.
P.A.Mendoza--AT
