Nigerian scammers use AI to impersonate Brad Pitt, dupe woman
What's the story
A group of Nigerian scammers have been accused of pulling off a sophisticated scam involving AI to impersonate Hollywood star Brad Pitt and dupe a woman.
The victim, a French citizen named Anne, was duped into thinking she was in a romantic relationship with the actor.
The elaborate ruse cost her life savings and she is now seeking legal redress against the scammers.
Deception
Scammers exploited AI to create fake images
The fraudsters used AI to generate convincing images of Pitt, further solidifying their deception.
Anne was initially approached on Instagram by someone claiming to be Pitt's mother, after she posted photos from a skiing trip in Tignes.
The scammers then manipulated her into believing that Pitt urgently needed funds for kidney treatment and his bank accounts were inaccessible due to ongoing divorce proceedings with Angelina Jolie.
Financial loss
Victim lost €830,000 to the fraudsters
Anne's attorney, Laurene Hanna, disclosed that her client had lost a whopping €830,000 (around ₹7.5 crore) to the fraudsters.
In a bid to hunt down these criminals, Anne has sought the assistance of Marwan Ouarab from FindmyScammer.com.
According to Le Parisien's report quoting Ouarab, the culprits are three young men living in Nigeria.
Investigation hurdles
EFCC awaits petition to investigate the scam
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that it can only launch an investigation into this case if it receives a formal petition. "It is a petition that authorizes the EFCC to act," spokesperson Dele Oyewale told AFP.
Cybercrime challenges
Nigeria's reputation and response to internet fraud
Nigeria has a notorious reputation for being home to internet fraudsters, colloquially known as "Yahoo Boys."
However, despite the notoriety, the EFCC remains committed to fighting all forms of emerging crime, including those enabled by AI.
In a recent operation in Lagos's affluent Victoria Island area, the agency apprehended 792 suspects involved in online scams.