Kid Rock has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to urge fans to report AI-driven scams to the FBI.
“This has happened using my name and likeness many times. Hard to believe some people fall for it,” he wrote, referencing a Fox News story about scammers impersonating Brad Pitt to defraud a woman out of $850,000.
Kid Rock continued, “Really sad, but if I am being honest, also really dumb. Sorry, no way to sugarcoat it. If it has happened to you or you feel you are being seriously trolled, contact the FBI. But beware and forewarned.”
The Fox News story details the ordeal of Anne, a 53-year-old French designer who believed she was in a relationship with Brad Pitt. Scammers used fake photos, documents, and AI-generated videos to convince her of the deception. Anne thought she was helping Pitt, who they claimed was battling cancer and unable to cover his medical expenses due to his divorce from Angelina Jolie.
The scam started with a message on Instagram from someone claiming to be Pitt’s elderly mother, stating, “It’s a woman like you that my son needs.” Though Anne was initially skeptical, she was unfamiliar with social media and eventually fell victim to the elaborate scheme.
Over time, Anne received fake romantic messages, poems, and photos, along with fabricated stories from scammers pretending to be Pitt’s manager and daughter, Shiloh. When Anne questioned why she couldn’t meet the actor, the scammers sent an AI-generated video to make their story more convincing.
Anne was ultimately manipulated into sending most of her 775,000-euro divorce settlement to the scammer under the pretense of helping with customs fees, luxury gifts, and cancer treatments.
A representative for Brad Pitt described the situation as “awful,” adding, “It’s tragic that scammers exploit fans’ connections to celebrities. This serves as a reminder to be cautious about unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who don’t have social media accounts.”
Pitt, who does not maintain any official social media presence, was used as a pawn in a highly sophisticated scam. Kid Rock’s warning highlights the growing risk of AI being used in cyber fraud, urging fans to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity to the authorities.