Crime

The ‘fake Brad Pitt’ romance scam goes to trial in Granada with 17 defendants

The investigation has uncovered a complex scheme led by three Nigerian nationals who managed to swindle 314,000 euros from their victims

Pilar García-Trevijano

Granada

13/07/2026 a las 17:18h.

A Granada court will hear the case against 17 defendants who, as part of an alleged criminal organisation, are accused of defrauding two victims of ... more than 314,000 euros: one a woman from Granada and the other a resident of the Basque Country.

To carry out the scam, the ringleaders posed as the actor Brad Pitt and pretended to be in a romantic relationship with the victims.

Granada's magistrates' court has issued an order for summary proceedings - the step prior to trial - bringing an end to years of meticulous investigation.

Those under investigation face charges of aggravated fraud, forgery and the use of fake documents, identity theft, money laundering and criminal organisation.

Psychological blackmail

The alleged ringleaders exploited the victims’ vulnerability. They impersonated the actor Brad Pitt and, through social media, gradually led the women to believe, wrongly, that they were in a romantic relationship with him.

This psychological blackmail enabled them to obtain money transfers, while the women acted under the belief that they were providing financial support or helping the person with whom they were in a relationship.

The alleged impostors even went so far as to propose marriage to the victim, only to then ask her for 30,000 euros

They used excuses tailored to each victim’s circumstances to manipulate them and repeatedly ask them for large sums of money.

Among other things, those under investigation claimed that the actor needed to invest in a film to be shot in Granada, to meet family needs, to fund commercial projects, or to make donations to the actor’s charitable foundation.

Funding

In the case of the woman from Granada, she made a total of eight transfers amounting to 175,000 euros. The alleged imposters even went so far as to propose to her, before asking her for 30,000 euros. The victim transferred 140,000 euros to them via international bank transfers and the purchase of Bitcoins.

Following the complaint lodged by this particular woman, as reported by IDEAL in 2023, the Guardia Civil managed to dismantle the criminal network that was operating the "romance scam".

The organisation’s leadership consisted of three Nigerian nationals who operated in a coordinated manner from Malaga and Barcelona with the aim of making substantial financial gains.

The alleged ringleaders are said to have devised the fraud and are charged with continuing offences of aggravated fraud, forgery, identity theft, money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation.