Police in Spain have arrested five people accused of scamming two women out of 325,000 euros (US$362,000) by pretending to be Hollywood star Brad Pitt online.
Ten other people were also investigated as part of Operation Bralina, which spanned eight provinces, according to a statement from the Guardia Civil published Monday.
One woman lost 175,000 euros (US$195,000) to the fraudsters, while another lost 150,000 euros (US$167,000). Of that total, police managed to recover 85,000 euros (US$95,000).
Both victims were contacted via a Brad Pitt fan site by fraudsters who managed to convince them that the actor wanted to invest in various projects with them, police said.
“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,” reads the statement.
“They also used instant messaging platforms to exchange messages and emails with the two women until they thought they were chatting via WhatsApp with Brad Pitt himself, who promised them a romantic relationship and a future together.”
Both women ended up making numerous bank transfers to the person they thought was Pitt, until they realized they had been scammed and went to the police.
Investigators found that, as part of the scam, a network of bank accounts were created using fake identity documents. “Mules” were also used to help to launder money through their own bank accounts in exchange for a small payment.