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French Woman Scammed Out Of $850k By Fake 'Brad Pitt'—And The AI Photos Are Something Else
Jan 15, 2025
A French woman was scammed out of $850,000 when she drained her bank account to give the money to who she thought was Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt.
Spoiler alert, it wasn't.
The 53-year-old fell victim to increasingly popular scams luring unsuspecting people with AI-generated images, notably ones that look convincingly real to celebrities.
This was not the first time Pitt's likeness was used to prey on women for their money.
According to Newsweek, five people were arrested in Spain for swindling two women out of more than $330,000 in a scam tied to the Ad Astra actor.
In this recent incident, French broadcast network BFM TV reported that a woman identified as Anne received a message on Facebook in 2023.
Anne, who was married to a millionaire at the time, first got a message from an individual claiming to be Pitt's mother, then Pitt in later correspondences.
Thus kicked off her "affair" with the Hollywood luminary.
Things escalated further when the scammer asked Anne to marry him, which of course she consented to after divorcing her husband.
Anne reportedly sent the scammer $9,000 after the individual claimed they were to cover the costs of delivering the gifts allegedly bought for her to go through customs.
Next, Anne was scammed into sending the fraudster more than $800,000 that she got from her divorce settlement.
The money was allegedly to pay for Pitt's cancer treatments, which was a no-brainer for Anne after she was sent AI-generated images of what she interpreted as Pitt lying in a hospital bed.
Anne was informed Pitt was unable to use his money to cover the hospital bills because of his divorce proceedings with ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
None of this raised a red flag for Anne, even after she was told she could only correspond strictly via text message, never through phone calls.
Pitt and Jolie reached a divorce settlement in December 2024 after Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. The terms of the settlement have not been publicly disclosed.
Anne realized the hard truth when she saw a photo of the real Brad Pitt photographed with his current girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.
Those who couldn't believe how Anne fell for the scheme were face-palming, especially after noticing how unconvincing some of the doctored photos were.
A few expressed sympathy for the victim.
Others detected a twist.
As of this writing, the scammer is still on the prowl, possibly looking for their next victim, according to the French media.
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Eagles Fan Under Investigation After He Was Caught On Video Hurling Vile Abuse At Packers Fan
Jan 15, 2025
Spirited rivalry is par for the course when sports fans root for their home teams, and tensions can get exacerbated when alcohol is involved.
However, one Philadelphia Eagles fan attending Sunday's NFL game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly crossed the line when he berated a female fan cheering on the visiting Green Bay Packers.
During an altercation, the obnoxious heckler called the woman, whom he doesn't even know, "a dumb [c-word]," and it was captured on a viral video filmed by the woman's husband, Alexander Basara, also a Packers fan.
Basara posted the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing the caption:
"What it's like going to Philly just trying to root for your team... Unprovoked, uncalled for."
"Packers twitter, help me out and find this guy.... this is not okay I hate that my fiancé had this happen simply cheering for her team."
Warning: NSFW language.
Basara remained calm and advised the man not to call his fiancée the c-word, which prompted the Eagles fan to challenge him to escalate the interaction.
“You gonna do anything?" the man asked Basara, and continued, "Shut the f'k up. Yup. Turn around. Watch the game.”
Since an all-out brawl could erupt in this type of situation, Basara refused to engage further.
Social media users gave Basara props for taking the high road by keeping his hands to himself and continuing to film the guy in the hopes of exposing his misanthropic temperament for all to see.
People pointed out how Philly Eagles fans are notorious for their antagonistic behavior.
Internet sleuths answered the call after the man's unruly behavior sparked fury.
The haranguer was identified as Ryan Caldwell, a business analyst at BCT Partners, a New Jersey-based management consulting firm who has worked in the hospitality industry since 2002 with managerial roles at Plamondon Hospitality Partners, Hersha Hospitality, Marriott International, and Cohenterprises.
Here's a screenshot of his now-deleted profile on LinkedIn.
Influencer TizzyEnt shared a rundown of events tracking Caldwell's abhorrent behavior to his inevitable reckoning.
Internet users were also shocked to discover that in addition to the irony of his extensive work in the hospitality industry, Caldwell is a husband and father.
"Is that how you speak to your wife? Is that how you speak to your mother? Actually, I got a better question: Is this how you speak to your daughter?" asked an internet user who shared screenshots of Caldwell's family from his social media pages.
TizzyEnt concluded the video exposé with:
"Yeah, Ryan, I don't know how this is going to affect you moving forward. But the lesson here is, it doesn't matter if someone likes a different sports team than you or wishes that your sports team does poorly."
"That doesn't justify that kind of sh*tty behavior."
The Eagles fan was dragged in the comments.
Calls were made for Caldwell's employer to have him fired for his unwarranted venomous diatribe, repeating the use of the misogynistic slur aimed at the Packers fan.
Caldwell is now under investigation.
BCT Partners issued a statement after having seen the viral video of their unhinged employee.
The company stated they had been "made aware of a video circulating involving an employee making offensive remarks outside of the workplace."
They condemned Caldwell and confirmed the organization stands for "inclusivity," saying that his conduct at the game was "completely unacceptable" and was in "direct opposition to our company values."
The statement added:
“We have already begun a full investigation as an internal personnel matter to determine what actions will be taken."
"We sincerely apologize to everyone affected by this behavior and remain committed to fostering a culture of respect for all.”
BCT
People are waiting to hear the results of BCT Partners' investigation and what consequences Caldwell will likely be facing for his actions.
Whatever happens, don't let the door hit you on the way out, Ryan.
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Lara Trump Gets Swiftly Schooled After Doubting How Climate Change Could Cause L.A. Wildfires
Jan 15, 2025
President-elect Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump—the former Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair—was criticized after she erroneously claimed that climate change couldn't be a factor in the deadly Los Angeles wildfires, only to be given a blunt fact-check on social media.
Firefighters in Ventura County worked to contain a new brush fire in the Santa Clara River bottom Tuesday as powerful Santa Ana winds raised the risk of additional blazes across Southern California, currently facing some of the worst fires in the state's history.
The strongest gusts of this latest wind event were forecast for Tuesday night, prompting Los Angeles County officials to urge residents to brace for potential power outages and prepare for possible evacuations.
The dire forecast follows a devastating week of high winds and dry conditions that fueled wildfires across the region, leaving at least 24 people dead and around two dozen still missing. The blazes have displaced more than 100,000 people, with entire neighborhoods reduced to ashes.
And in blatantly false statements, Lara Trump effectively politicized natural disasters that devastate communities and claim lives. In the case of the ongoing disaster in Los Angeles, Governor Gavin Newsom and other Democrats have consistently argued that California’s wildfires are exacerbated by climate change and global warming.
RELATED: Gavin Newsom Reshares Musk Interview With L.A. Firefighter To Expose His Wildfire 'Lies'
She said the following as Fox News displayed a chyron that declared that “Liberal jurisdictions double down on climate alarmism":
"These people cannot help themselves. No one wants to take blame for anything in California. Instead they're blaming climate change."
"I would really love for someone out there to explain to me how climate change is the reason that the reservoirs were dry, that there was no water in the fire hydrants."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
Lara Trump was pushing a blatantly false conspiracy theory during her Fox News appearance.
In fact, California’s reservoirs were not dry at all, although firefighters did face challenges accessing the water at hydrants due to overwhelming demand and pressure issues.
The devastating wildfires, fueled by powerful winds and bone-dry conditions, broke out following an exceptionally dry period—Los Angeles received just 0.8 mm of rain from July 1 to January. During one of the state’s hottest summers on record, vegetation that had flourished during a previous period of intense rainfall dried out, creating ample fuel for the fires.
Trump was swiftly called out as a result.
Unsurprisingly, Lara Trump's statements betray her lack of understanding of the issues surrounding Los Angeles' water supply.
Scientists argue that the unprecedented winter fires highlight how extreme climate fluctuations, or “whiplash” conditions, are intensifying the likelihood of fires and other disasters.
Some experts contend that even the most well-equipped fire agencies would have struggled greatly to control the blazes in such a perfect storm of conditions.
State and local officials have faced scrutiny regarding their preparedness for the fires, especially after hydrants ran dry due to local systems being stretched to their limits.
Amid these struggles, multiple Republicans have dismissed the disaster, saying that disaster relief funds for California should be contingent on their willingness to adopt GOP policies, so Lara Trump's cluelessness is in good company.
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TikTok Bluntly Shuts Down Report Claiming They Might Sell The Platform To Elon Musk
Jan 15, 2025
If you're active on TikTok you know that it's been quite an eventful few weeks on the app, as users wait to see what will become of it as the January 19 deadline for the proposed ban rapidly approaches.
But one potential solution that was floating around just might be worse than banning the app altogether, at least in the minds of many users: a purchase of the app by Elon Musk.
Rumors began swirling that Musk was in talks to buy the app the way he did Twitter, in order to fulfill the government's demands that TikTok either be sold by its Chinese parent ByteDance to an American company or go dark on the 19th.
But after the way Musk transformed Twitter, basically turning it into a cesspool of far-right propaganda and disinformation, TikTok users were not happy with this solution at all.
The news first emerged in a report from Bloomberg, which referenced TikTok and Chinese government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. But as the news began to circulate, the company was quick to shut the idea down.
Asked about it by HuffPost, a TikTok spokesperson was blunt and to the point:
“We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction."
Still, there's no smoke without fire, and the fact that this rumor got started at all is...well, ominous.
The entire purported point of banning TikTok or forcing it to divest from ByteDance in the first was place was supposedly to protect American users' data from the Chinese government as a matter of national security.
Musk, along with incoming president Donald Trump, is a close ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping, so his purchase isn't exactly a solution. Unless, of course, data security isn't actually the government's real concern with TikTok, as many have speculated.
This speculation is mainly because the entire tech industry, including Elon Musk's X as well as Mark Zuckerberg's Meta products, harvest just as much if not more of Americans' data and sell it all over the place, including to foreign interests. But whatever!
In any case, social media users are definitely not on board with the idea of a Musk-owned TikTok, and have made that clearly known on Musk's own X platform.
The Supreme Court is currently weighing whether to uphold the TikTok ban or kill it on First Amendment grounds.
Senator Ed Markey has also introduced a bill that would extend the January 19 deadline by 270 days in order to buy time for a decision.
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People Describe The Best 'Bro Moment' They've Experienced With Someone
Jan 15, 2025
The camaraderie between guys can extend beyond friendships as even strangers can communicate a non-verbal understanding shared between people of the same gender.
It's called "The Bro Code."
The unspoken set of rules in a bromance assures one has the other's back.
They include making sure they're honest about their opinions on a new date, being a reliable wingman, and, in a blatant form of respect, engaging in the fist-bump to show acceptance or appreciation in any scenario.
Curious to hear more about the dude etiquette, Redditor skyp1llar asked:
"What’s the most 'bro moment' thing you’ve ever quietly done for somebody else?"
Whether friends or strangers, these guys showed up for each other.
The Favor
"Got on a bus reeeeal slowly when I saw someone running towards it. He gave me a nod when he got on."
– Livid_Lengthiness_69
"Different kind of scenario, but your story reminded me of the time a guy decided to get off the bus at my stop, because the driver decided a good way to try to get my number was to refuse to open the door to let me off."
"I was so grateful to that random dude who inconvenienced himself to make sure I could escape safely."
– BlondeAndToxic
Dedicated Friendship
"Not me but my 'bro'."
"Was getting divorced and instead of my best friend seeing it on social media from my ex I called him. We talked and he could tell I was devastated, asked me if I wanted him to come into town, I told him I'd be fine but thanks."
"Noon the next day there was a knock on my door. He got the first flight out the next morning, he flew 1500 miles because he knew I needed a friend."
– JohnnyBrillcream
A Postman Takes His Time
"It was the day before my visa application had to be submitted; otherwise, I'd risk having to leave the country. I had to express post my last form to my lawyer. I was frantically writing the address on the overnight express envelope and the postman that was collecting the express letters was picking them up one by one and examining them."
"I was so stressed I was shaking and just blurted out, "Please wait, I'm nearly done." he just smiled and said, " I don't normally take this much interest in the letters, mate."
– thepaintingbear
Preventing Termination
"I was night manager at warehouse. Young fellow (22 M[ale]) was great on forklift stuff, but obvs had a rough life and didn't particularly care for me so we rarely interacted. He missed work for 3rd time in a month and Senior Manager was happily looking forward to firing him."
"I intervened and said 'is ok, he called in sick, I forgot to mark it down.' Next shift, the young fellow practically cried and told me he was so grateful, no one ever took his side on anything, that he would never miss work again (he was on a bender LOL)."
– LMN724op
Philanthropy Forges Friendships
"A neighbor who I didn’t really know well lost his job. I knew that they didn’t have a lot of money and he had a wife and young children. I’m retired, live alone, and don’t have many expenses. I knocked on his door, and I handed him $1000 in an envelope and $300 worth of groceries."
"They have since become like family to me, and have helped me when I needed it ."
– DadsRGR8
Here's The Story…
"Girl started hitting on me at a party while I was in a relationship (she didn't know). Walked directly over to a new friend I made, brought him over and did a 'haaaaaaaave you met Ted?' They ended up in a long-term relationship."
– MrFunktasticc
These guys received kind gestures, just for being fellow dudes.
Sharing Some Laughs
"The opposite but one time, I was …in the stall. This was pre-iPhones. I was bored out of my mind, and the guy in the stall next to me, who was reading a newspaper, flushed and on his way out just handed me the comics page of the newspaper beneath the door."
"No words exchanged. Forget about the hygiene part, that was a bro moment."
– oAgK
Completing The Task
"A guy boarding a subway dropped unstamped letters he wished to send (I hope) on the platform unknowingly. Train departed with him in it, I picked up the letters, bought stamps, mailed them."
– Kipsydaisy
Bonus Nuggets
"When I worked at McDonald's in high-school, I added an extra nugget or two to every order. Probably hooked up thousands of kids and adults."
– TheSpiralTap
Loading Up The Car
"Okay so I deleted this and will post again. It went something like this..."
"I went to IKEA one night, I put my items in the car and as I was about to leave I noticed a guy struggling to put his items in his car so I went over and spent 40 minutes or so helping him. We tried loads of combinations, and we essentially played Jenga for a while, bouncing ideas off one another."
"He kept saying he was sorry for keeping me and that he would just return some items, but we eventually got all the items to fit. The sense of joy and accomplishment was amazing."
"He offered me money, but I just took a handshake. We didn't exchange names, and we went our separate ways. I hope he's doing well."
– Forceptz
People show up for each other even in the darkest of times.
Grieving A Pet
"My best friend's dog had a life-ending episode; He called me at work to tell me he was driving to the vet to put his buddy down. I bailed from work and beat him to the vet's, together we said goodbye to the good boi, and then went and had a pint."
– Signal_Bench_707
"This is the bro-est of the bro type of gesture. Losing a dog is f'king brutal and you were there for him. That probably meant the world to your friend."
– GreyFoxTheRanger
Respect For Privacy
"My best friend, who was single, had an extensive adult video collection. He had two of those big storage bins for Christmas, full of burned CDs with nothing but porn on them. He always told me that if he died before his parents, that I had to get his collection out of his house before his parents found it."
"His parents are pretty religious and would have freaked the f'k out after figuring out what was on all of those CDs."
"Well... He died unexpectedly in a car wreck. I went straight to his house after leaving the hospital, spent some time just hanging one last time in his space, grabbed his storage bins and left."
– sh**ty_mathematician
"Saved a bro from beyond the grave. Legend."
– OP
Santa Exists
"I was an admin for my local buy nothing group, and had gotten acquainted with a single mother who was mildly struggling. I say mildly because she could make her rent and keep food on the table, but couldn't afford Christmas gifts for her children."
"After looking through the group a little bit and learning what her kids were interested in, I bought them a handful of gifts."
"Because I was an admin, and I'd exchanged things with her before, I had her address. Wrapped all of the gifts and labeled them 'to [kids name], from buy nothing santa', dropped them at her door knocked, and booked it to my car around the corner."
"To this day we are still friends on Facebook, and I don't think she knows it was me who did this."
– Jillmanji
The examples above prove that humanity still thrives in these trying times and that the smallest acts of kindness go a long way.
More of this, please.
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