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discover how scammers manipulate their victims with AI

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– A 53-year-old French woman is scammed out of nearly a million euros by a fake Brad Pitt.

Anne's story has gone around the world. Since the broadcast of her testimony in the program Sept à Huit, broadcast on TF1, Sunday January 12, in which she confides having been the victim of a scammer, called “grazer”having posed as actor Brad Pitt, this 53-year-old French woman is the victim of violent cyberstalking. Today, destitute, she has filed a complaint and has already attempted suicide three times. In this affair of feelings scam, the victim lost 830 000 euros.

This type of sentiment scam has multiplied. By chatting with fans via messengers, scammers demand money from these deceived admirers. Scammers rely on social networks favored by those over 50, such as Facebook, mobile games and even fan clubs. The term “grazer” is generally associated with scammers operating from West Africa French-speaking countries, particularly Ivory Coast, reports La Dépêche.

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Fake Brad Pitt scam: will the victim's bank have to reimburse the 830,000 euros?

Socially isolated people

The modus operandi consists of making contact with a victim and gaining their trust. “The victim falls in love from a distance and there, they will ask for money, claiming in particular to want to join the targeted person and need it to pay for the plane or train ticket”explained Jérôme Notin, general director of the Cybermalveillance platform. The profile of the victims corresponds to people who are socially isolated and more psychologically fragile.

Grazers “will publish images with a significant emotional charge, often generated by AI”. The scammers will then spot their target among the people who interact with photos. “Scammers can talk for months with the targeted person before making their first request for money”explained Jérôme Notin.

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