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Incident 901: Yahoo Boys Allegedly Used Deepfake Technology to Impersonate Brad Pitt and Defraud French Woman of $850,000 in Romance Scam

Description: Three Nigerian "Yahoo Boys" scammers allegedly used AI-generated image manipulation tools, along with fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, to reportedly impersonate actor Brad Pitt and convince a French interior decorator, Anne, that she was in a romantic relationship with him. Over 18 months, they allegedly fabricated selfies and messages, reportedly leading Anne to divorce her husband and transfer $850,000 under the false pretense that Pitt needed money for kidney treatment while his accounts were frozen.
Editor Notes: Timeline and terminology notes: This incident reportedly began sometime in early 2023 and continued to sometime in late 2024. On January 12, 2025, Anne's story was aired on TF1's "Seven to Eight" (Sept à Huit) program. After the segment reportedly resulted in significant harassment of Anne, the TF1 network removed the interview from its platforms citing the need to protect her: https://x.com/7a8/status/1879114760282878013. According to reports in mid-late January 2025, three men from Nigeria, allegedly part of the "Yahoo Boys" crime scene, were identified as suspects in the scam. The Yahoo Boys are reportedly not so much a centralized group as a loosely connected network of individuals and small clusters engaging in cybercrime schemes. In French-language reporting, they are usually referred to as "brouteurs," while in English-language reporting, they are often identified as "Yahoo Boys."

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The OECD AI Incidents and Hazards Monitor (AIM) automatically collects and classifies AI-related incidents and hazards in real time from reputable news sources worldwide.
 

Entities

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Alleged: Unknown deepfake technology developers developed an AI system deployed by Yahoo Boys , Scammers impersonating Brad Pitt and Brouteurs, which harmed General public susceptible to AI-enhanced scams , Brad Pitt and Anne (French interior decorator).
Alleged implicated AI systems: Synthetic media generation tools and AI deepfake technology

Incident Stats

Incident ID
901
Report Count
23
Incident Date
2025-01-12
Editors
Daniel Atherton

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

+10
Scammer uses deepfake images of Brad Pitt to dupe French woman out of $1.2M
+3
AI scammers pretending to be Brad Pitt con woman out of $850,000
The case of the fake Brad Pitt, sick with cancer and without money to pay the divorce: Artificial Intelligence worries Hollywood.Daughter's desperate plea after mother begins close relationship with fake Owen Wilson+6
LOSS & RACHEL I was scammed out of hundreds by ‘Jennifer Aniston’ who told me she loved me & needed cash for her ‘Apple subscriptions’
Scammer uses deepfake images of Brad Pitt to dupe French woman out of $1.2M

Scammer uses deepfake images of Brad Pitt to dupe French woman out of $1.2M

nationalpost.com

A woman thought she was dating Brad Pitt—was tricked into giving $850k

A woman thought she was dating Brad Pitt—was tricked into giving $850k

newsweek.com

Scammers Posing as Brad Pitt Convince Divorced Woman to Transfer More Than $800,000

Scammers Posing as Brad Pitt Convince Divorced Woman to Transfer More Than $800,000

usmagazine.com

French woman faces cyberbullying after falling for fake Brad Pitt

French woman faces cyberbullying after falling for fake Brad Pitt

gulfnews.com

Woman who lost $850,000 to scammers posing as Brad Pitt faces wave of online harassment and mockery

Woman who lost $850,000 to scammers posing as Brad Pitt faces wave of online harassment and mockery

cbsnews.com

French woman duped by AI Brad Pitt faces mockery online

French woman duped by AI Brad Pitt faces mockery online

bbc.com

AI Brad Pitt Convinced a French Woman To Pay €830K for Kidney Treatment

AI Brad Pitt Convinced a French Woman To Pay €830K for Kidney Treatment

ccn.com

Viral scam: French woman duped by AI Brad Pitt love scheme faces cyberbullying

Viral scam: French woman duped by AI Brad Pitt love scheme faces cyberbullying

euronews.com

Brad Pitt criticizes "awful" scammer who conned woman out of $850K

Brad Pitt criticizes "awful" scammer who conned woman out of $850K

newsweek.com

Fake Brad Pitt scam: investigation underway by the financial brigade

Fake Brad Pitt scam: investigation underway by the financial brigade

leparisien.fr

AI scammers pretending to be Brad Pitt con woman out of $850,000

AI scammers pretending to be Brad Pitt con woman out of $850,000

foxnews.com

Brad Pitt's Rep Reminds Fans Actor Does Not Use Social Media After Catfished Fan Was Scammed Out of $800K

Brad Pitt's Rep Reminds Fans Actor Does Not Use Social Media After Catfished Fan Was Scammed Out of $800K

people.com

Nigerian scammers accused in AI-driven fake Brad Pitt fraud

Nigerian scammers accused in AI-driven fake Brad Pitt fraud

france24.com

Brad Pitt Is Not In Love With You. Here's How To Protect Yourself And Loved Ones From AI Scams.

Brad Pitt Is Not In Love With You. Here's How To Protect Yourself And Loved Ones From AI Scams.

huffpost.com

The case of the fake Brad Pitt, sick with cancer and without money to pay the divorce: Artificial Intelligence worries Hollywood.

The case of the fake Brad Pitt, sick with cancer and without money to pay the divorce: Artificial Intelligence worries Hollywood.

clarin.com

Daughter's desperate plea after mother begins close relationship with fake Owen Wilson

Daughter's desperate plea after mother begins close relationship with fake Owen Wilson

ladbible.com

LOSS & RACHEL I was scammed out of hundreds by ‘Jennifer Aniston’ who told me she loved me & needed cash for her ‘Apple subscriptions’

LOSS & RACHEL I was scammed out of hundreds by ‘Jennifer Aniston’ who told me she loved me & needed cash for her ‘Apple subscriptions’

thesun.co.uk

British man scammed by AI deepfake of Jennifer Aniston in fake romance phishing scam

British man scammed by AI deepfake of Jennifer Aniston in fake romance phishing scam

tribune.com.pk

Man scammed by deepfake Jennifer Aniston

Man scammed by deepfake Jennifer Aniston

cybernews.com

‘Jennifer Aniston’ deepfake suckers in victims across world including Paul Davis - and there’s ‘Brad Pitt’ too

‘Jennifer Aniston’ deepfake suckers in victims across world including Paul Davis - and there’s ‘Brad Pitt’ too

perthnow.com.au

Man scammed out of hundreds by 'Jennifer Aniston' who told him 'she loved him'

Man scammed out of hundreds by 'Jennifer Aniston' who told him 'she loved him'

ladbible.com

'Jennifer Aniston' told a man she 'loved him' and asked for Apple gift cards. It was an elaborate scam

'Jennifer Aniston' told a man she 'loved him' and asked for Apple gift cards. It was an elaborate scam

wionews.com

AI Jennifer Aniston Sweet-Talks British Victim Out of His Cash

AI Jennifer Aniston Sweet-Talks British Victim Out of His Cash

news.shib.io

Scammer uses deepfake images of Brad Pitt to dupe French woman out of $1.2M
nationalpost.com · 2025

A computer-generated fake Brad Pitt used by a scammer has duped a 53-year-old French interior designer into thinking he was hospitalized with kidney cancer and needed funds to pay for it.

The victim, known only as Anne, paid out the equival…

A woman thought she was dating Brad Pitt—was tricked into giving $850k
newsweek.com · 2025

A 53-year-old French woman was scammed out of $850,000 when she was convinced she was dating the actor Brad Pitt after being sent AI-generated images of the actor.

Newsweek has reached out to a representative for the French government via a…

Scammers Posing as Brad Pitt Convince Divorced Woman to Transfer More Than $800,000
usmagazine.com · 2025

UPDATE: 1/16/25 at 12:53 p.m. ET --- Brad Pitt has broken his silence after a woman came forward saying a scammer conned her out of more than $800,000 by claiming to be the Fight Club actor and making her believe the two were in a romantic …

French woman faces cyberbullying after falling for fake Brad Pitt
gulfnews.com · 2025

A French woman who revealed on television how she had lost her life savings to scammers posing as Brad Pitt, has faced a wave of online harassment and mockery, leading the interview to be withdrawn on Tuesday.

The woman, named as Anne, told…

Woman who lost $850,000 to scammers posing as Brad Pitt faces wave of online harassment and mockery
cbsnews.com · 2025

A French woman who revealed on television how she had lost her life savings to scammers posing as Brad Pitt, has faced a wave of online harassment and mockery, leading the interview to be withdrawn on Tuesday.

The woman, named as Anne, told…

French woman duped by AI Brad Pitt faces mockery online
bbc.com · 2025

A French woman who was conned out of €830,000 (£700,000; $850,000) by scammers posing as actor Brad Pitt has faced a huge wave of mockery, leading French broadcaster TF1 to withdraw a programme about her.

The primetime programme, which aire…

AI Brad Pitt Convinced a French Woman To Pay €830K for Kidney Treatment
ccn.com · 2025

A woman was deceived by a series of AI deepfakes and fake social media accounts into believing she was in a long-term romantic relationship with Brad Pitt.

The French native was scammed out of €830,000 ($857,900) after being deceived into t…

Viral scam: French woman duped by AI Brad Pitt love scheme faces cyberbullying
euronews.com · 2025

Fraudsters have scammed a French woman out of €830,000 by making her believe she was dating Brad Pitt. The victim has faced an onslaught of online harassment -- revealing quite to what extent empathy and human decency is in short supply whe…

Brad Pitt criticizes "awful" scammer who conned woman out of $850K
newsweek.com · 2025

Brad Pitt has criticized the person who scammed a 53-year-old French woman out of $850,000 while pretending to be the Oscar-winning actor.

Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Pitt for comment on Thursday outside of normal business hours.

Wh…

Fake Brad Pitt scam: investigation underway by the financial brigade
leparisien.fr · 2025
AI Translated

Who is hiding behind the fake Brad Pitt? This is the question that the financial brigade's investigations will have to try to answer, four days after the broadcast of the TF1 report on Anne's misadventure. This 53-year-old woman was swindle…

AI scammers pretending to be Brad Pitt con woman out of $850,000
foxnews.com · 2025

A happily-ever-after with someone a woman believed was Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt quickly turned into a living nightmare.

On Jan. 12, the French television channel TF1 aired an episode of its show "Sept à Huit," which told the story of a 53-y…

Brad Pitt's Rep Reminds Fans Actor Does Not Use Social Media After Catfished Fan Was Scammed Out of $800K
people.com · 2025

Brad Pitt's representatives are reminding fans the actor is not active on social media following reports that a French woman was scammed out of over $800,000 by someone who posed as Pitt.

"It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ st…

Nigerian scammers accused in AI-driven fake Brad Pitt fraud
france24.com · 2025

The scammers tricked the victim, identified as 53-year-old Anne by French broadcaster TF1, into believing she was in a romantic relationship with the 61-year-old Hollywood star by using AI-generated photos.

The case illustrates how Nigerian…

Brad Pitt Is Not In Love With You. Here's How To Protect Yourself And Loved Ones From AI Scams.
huffpost.com · 2025

If the movie star of your dreams said he loved you and needed money, would you give it to him?

Unfortunately, many would. Nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam to the Federal Trade Commission in 2022, totaling a staggering $1.3 billi…

The case of the fake Brad Pitt, sick with cancer and without money to pay the divorce: Artificial Intelligence worries Hollywood.
clarin.com · 2025
AI Translated

It was a story destined to become a miniseries, one of those that can be devoured in a weekend. When French TV aired the story of Anne, a 53-year-old interior designer who divorced her husband and donated €800,000 to a fake Brad Pitt who cl…

Daughter's desperate plea after mother begins close relationship with fake Owen Wilson
ladbible.com · 2025

Ah Artificial Intelligence, you've done it again.

Technology and AI is progressing at a rapid pace, to a point where people are struggling to tell the difference between real and fake online.

AI videos have been doing the rounds on X in rec…

LOSS & RACHEL I was scammed out of hundreds by ‘Jennifer Aniston’ who told me she loved me & needed cash for her ‘Apple subscriptions’
thesun.co.uk · 2025

A MAN was cruelly scammed out of £200 after being sweet-talked by a fake Jennifer Aniston begging for cash for "Apple subscriptions".

Paul Davis, 43, from Southampton, handed over the money after believing he was talking to the Friends star…

British man scammed by AI deepfake of Jennifer Aniston in fake romance phishing scam
tribune.com.pk · 2025

A man from Southampton has spoken out after falling victim to an AI-driven scam impersonating actress Jennifer Aniston.

Paul Davis, 43, says he was targeted with AI-generated videos that included fake messages and images from celebrities su…

Man scammed by deepfake Jennifer Aniston
cybernews.com · 2025

A Southampton man lost hundreds to a deepfake Jennifer Aniston scam, exposing the rise of AI-driven celebrity fraud.

In the latest of unfortunate deepfake AI scams, Paul Davis, 43, from Southampton, UK, lost hundreds of pounds after scammer…

‘Jennifer Aniston’ deepfake suckers in victims across world including Paul Davis - and there’s ‘Brad Pitt’ too
perthnow.com.au · 2025

It’s Jennifer Aniston. But it’s not THE Jennifer Aniston.

This Jennifer Aniston is a crook — and she’s an expert at convincing you to part with your hard-earned money.

But take a long, hard, closer look. She’s not even real. She’s a deepfak…

Man scammed out of hundreds by 'Jennifer Aniston' who told him 'she loved him'
ladbible.com · 2025

Not everyone online is as friendly as you first think - as this man found out after being duped by a scammer posing as Jennifer Aniston.

Paul Davis believed he was talking to the Friends actress, 56, on Facebook after fraudsters sent him 'f…

'Jennifer Aniston' told a man she 'loved him' and asked for Apple gift cards. It was an elaborate scam
wionews.com · 2025

A man in the UK was duped of hundreds of pounds by a scammer who posed as Jennifer Aniston, even providing IDs to prove that they indeed were the FRIENDS star. Paul Davis was befriended by fraudsters on Facebook who referred to him as "my l…

AI Jennifer Aniston Sweet-Talks British Victim Out of His Cash
news.shib.io · 2025

Paul Davis, a resident of Southampton, UK, has recently fallen victim to an AI deepfake scam, resulting in a loss of approximately $255 (£200). The fraudulent scheme involved convincing him that he was communicating with American actress an…

Variants

A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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