Brad Pitt rep responds to arrest of actor's imposters: 'It's awful that scammers take advantage' of fans

"This is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence."

A spokesperson for Brad Pitt is warning fans to be aware of online scams following the arrest of five individuals who posed as the Hollywood star.

In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, the rep said, “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 has no official social media profiles.

Earlier this week, Spanish authorities announced the arrest of five people accused of scamming two women out of $350,000 by posing as Pitt.

The news, shared in a Sept. 23 statement from Spain’s Interior Ministry, revealed that three online scammers were arrested last November and two more were arrested in July in connection with the "criminal organization" that allegedly defrauded the two victims via emails and instant messages.

Per the press release, translated to English, the scammers allegedly messaged the victims while pretending to be the Oscar winner and initiated a false romantic relationship. They spent time building trust until the women “believed they were WhatsApping with Brad Pitt himself, who promised them a romantic relationship and a future together.”

At that point, they would ask the women to transfer money for the purpose of investing in “various commercial projects” with them.

Related: Bridgerton ball gone wrong in Detroit: Inside the not-so-immersive experience that fans are calling a 'scam'

One woman sent €150,000 (about $168,000) in a series of money transfers while the other sent €175,000 (about $195,600). Thus far, only €85,000 has been recovered as part of the investigation. The suspects, whose names have not been released, face charges including fraud and money laundering, according to the Spanish police.

Pitt is certainly not the first celebrity to warn fans away from scammers using their identity. In June, Kate Beckinsale revealed that someone online was using her name and likeness to scam elderly victims out of money. Screenshots shared by the actress showed concerned family members claiming their parents were targeted by someone who claimed to be her, developed a relationship with them, and then requested large sums of money.

"This is such a s---ty horrible thing to do and it’s not the first time an elderly man has been scammed out of actually a lot of money - hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Beckinsale wrote at the time. “Whoever is doing this is disgusting and evil.”

Related: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter Shiloh dropped dad's last name after 'painful events,' lawyer says

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In 2023, a Kentucky woman appeared on the Catfished YouTube series to tell the story of divorcing her husband for a person she believed to be Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery. She explained that she began interacting with "Montgomery" in an online forum for creatives, where the two “hit it off.”

She said she was “suspicious from the get go until he starts doing things that make me believe that he is who he is." She eventually sent him $10,000 after he told her that he and his model girlfriend Liv Pollock were on the verge of a split due to Pollock's controlling behavior, which included taking over his bank accounts.

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