Spanish authorities have apprehended five individuals involved in defrauding two women out of a total of 325,000 euros, $362,000, by posing as Hollywood star Brad Pitt in an elaborate online scam.
The arrests were part of an extensive investigation, known as Operation Bralina, which took place across eight provinces in Spain.
Alongside the arrested suspects, ten more individuals are currently being investigated, according to a statement released by the Guardia Civil on Monday.
The scam left one of the women swindled out of 175,000 euros, $195,000, while the second woman lost 150,000 euros, $167,000.
Fortunately, the police were able to recover a portion of the stolen funds, amounting to 85,000 euros ($95,000).
The victims had both been lured into the scam after engaging with a Brad Pitt fan site.
The fraudsters, posing as the actor, convinced the women that “Brad Pitt” was interested in investing in various projects with them.
The police explained that the perpetrators specifically targeted the women after conducting thorough research on their social media profiles, identifying their emotional vulnerabilities.
“In order to find their victims, the cyber criminals studied their social networks and put together a psychological profile of them, discovering as a result that both women were vulnerable people suffering from depression and a lack of affection,” the Guardia Civil’s statement revealed.
Through continuous communication via instant messaging apps and emails, the scammers manipulated the women into believing they were having personal conversations with the Hollywood star himself.
Promises of romantic involvement and a future together further ensnared the victims, leading them to make multiple bank transfers to the fraudsters before they eventually realized the deceit.
The investigation uncovered a sophisticated criminal network, where false identity documents were used to open bank accounts.
Money “mules” were also enlisted to help launder the funds by funneling the stolen money through their own accounts in exchange for a small commission.
Once the women became aware of the scam, they reported it to the police, triggering the investigation.
The authorities’ operation aims to further dismantle the organized criminal network behind the scheme, as efforts continue to track down the remaining suspects and retrieve additional stolen funds.
