Brad Pitt’s representative has spoken out after scammers were arrested for impersonating the actor to defraud women on social media. The Oscar winner, who does not have any official social media accounts, issued a warning through his rep on Wednesday, alerting fans of the new scam.
“It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities, and this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence,” Pitt’s rep told PEOPLE.
Spain’s Ministry of the Interior announced that five people were arrested, and more are under investigation, for their involvement in a “criminal organization” that allegedly scammed two women of over $350,000. Authorities said the scammers posed as a “fake Brad Pitt” to deceive fans, promising romantic relationships and asking the women to transfer money for investment projects.Three suspects were arrested in November, and two more were arrested in July, with charges including fraud, money laundering, and forgery.
Several other celebrities have previously warned fans about fake accounts trying to scam people online. Stars like Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks, and Johnny Depp have all spoken out about similar incidents.
In August, actress Florence Pugh took to her Instagram Stories to address fraudulent accounts pretending to be her. “Just wanted to remind everyone that I don’t have any other account other than this one,” Pugh, 28, shared. She added that some people had been asked for money or personal communication from fake accounts claiming to be her.
“I’m firstly sorry that this is a weird hobby that some people like doing, and I’m also sorry that you were [led] to believe that those spaces were safe,” Pugh said, urging fans to unfollow and report the fake accounts.
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