Description: Three Nigerian "Yahoo Boys" scammers allegedly used AI-generated image manipulation tools, along with fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, to reportedly impersonate actor Brad Pitt and convince a French interior decorator, Anne, that she was in a romantic relationship with him. Over 18 months, they allegedly fabricated selfies and messages, reportedly leading Anne to divorce her husband and transfer $850,000 under the false pretense that Pitt needed money for kidney treatment while his accounts were frozen.
Editor Notes: Timeline and terminology notes: This incident reportedly began sometime in early 2023 and continued to sometime in late 2024. On January 12, 2025, Anne's story was aired on TF1's "Seven to Eight" (Sept à Huit) program. After the segment reportedly resulted in significant harassment of Anne, the TF1 network removed the interview from its platforms citing the need to protect her: https://x.com/7a8/status/1879114760282878013. According to reports in mid-late January 2025, three men from Nigeria, allegedly part of the "Yahoo Boys" crime scene, were identified as suspects in the scam. The Yahoo Boys are reportedly not so much a centralized group as a loosely connected network of individuals and small clusters engaging in cybercrime schemes. In French-language reporting, they are usually referred to as "brouteurs," while in English-language reporting, they are often identified as "Yahoo Boys."
Alleged: Unknown deepfake technology developers developed an AI system deployed by Yahoo Boys , Scammers impersonating Brad Pitt と Brouteurs, which harmed General public susceptible to AI-enhanced scams , Brad Pitt と Anne (French interior decorator).
関与が疑われるAIシステム: Synthetic media generation tools と AI deepfake technology
インシデントのステータス
インシデントID
901
レポート数
12
インシデント発生日
2025-01-12
エディタ