“Brad Pitt contacted me on chat…

But it was just another romance scam”

by Michelle Pinassi,

Siena. Bad accident for the woman of Granada, Spain When he realized that the person who contacted him in the chat was not a very famous actor brad pitt Who asked for help but only a porn thug, who however tapped him –according to press reports– A cool €170,000(1).

Just to clarify for those who have any doubts: Brad Pitt has nothing to do with this whole story,

We’re seeing a prime example of romance scam, the annals of which are full of misfortunes. These range from small scams, detected almost immediately by victims who leaf through the first request for money, to sensational scams like this one and large sums. the strategy is always the same based on the techniques of social engineering Applied to aspects of love and relationships Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly lacking in contemporary society and the management of love relationships has been handed over to technology.

It seems unbelievable that, in 2023, there are people who are still caught in these traps. Even then it’s important not to victim blaming, because it constantly happens to all of us that we run the risk of falling prey to scams or in any case being cheated via the web. think that “it won’t happen to me anyway” Or “this would never happen to me“It is a wrong attitude that risks making us more vulnerable to these scams: understanding these phenomena, on the other hand, is the only weapon we have to protect ourselves.

In fact, the Internet provides scammers with many tools, including thousands of photos, information, and platforms to go through in search of the perfect victim. Let’s think about the most popular social platform ad That’s practically how much information you can gather about anyone. In the specific case, the woman had, in fact, been contacted by a Brad Pitt fan page, thereby exaggerating the alleged right of contact and misleading the unfortunate woman.

to which, of course, is addedamount of information obtained from illegal sources, such as Groove And data breach: identity documents, medical reports, documentation… all useful information for those who want to attack us and therefore know the subjects to which we are most sensitive.

Identity theft, which is using this information to impersonate your real identity, just like inventing fictitious identities using images and information invented or obtained from the net, is unfortunately a current and widespread phenomenon. Fictitious identities are very easy to create but completely realistic and believable, this is used not only to dupe middle aged women but also to dupe men and children (unfortunately by pedophiles and There are many reports of predators using these tactics to trick their victims).

Furthermore, in recent times, Thanks to AI technologies, it is possible to reproduce completely realistic dialogues, With the same rhythm and cadence as they claim to be, even a fraudulent phone call cannot be completely distinguished from a legitimate call. It is a technique used by cyber criminals to request the execution of tasks, for example, from the secretary of a company (the director’s voice is exemplary asking the secretary to make some payment or execute other ).

we have seen that too Video can now be manipulated with an incredible level of precision and veracity, so that i can –starting with some images– Create realistic videos that portray us in situations we’ve never experienced.

To conclude, apart from awareness and knowledge about the risks we are potentially facing, a similar issue fake newsboard of:

1. Never believe everything you read or see on the netEspecially on social networks. The authority of the source is a fundamental criterion for deciding the degree of reliability of a certain information;
2. If you are contacted by strangers via social media or email, Always verify your identity by checking your profile, number of mutual friends and any photos. Fake profiles often have very little activity and few photos, or photos that are almost all the same: they aren’t shy or reserved, it’s just that they don’t have anything real to post! Never give trust or real information to these contacts, Even if they are polite and look respectable;
3. Publish as little personal information as possible on social networks and the InternetAbove all, avoid publishing information and photos in real time: they are a formidable weapon for those planning an attack against you;
4. Always look for multiple confirmations for a certain information/eventfrom various sources, and refrain from spreading news that has no certainty;
5. Anyone can write and publish anything on the social network Jokes. Avoid sharing or “liking” information randomly or without first verifying with certainty: you may be co-responsible for spreading false news;
6. Ultimately, Brad Pitt will probably never contact you. Get over it and seek real life away from social networks and the net;

*www.zerozone.it