Spanish woman loses 27.5 million baht in fake Keanu Reeves scam
A Spanish woman has fallen victim to a scam involving a fake Keanu Reeves, losing over US$750,000 in the process. The scammer claimed the funds were for investing in the production of John Wick 5.
Chloe, the victim, shared her distressing experience on a Spanish television show. Initially, the impostor responded to one of her social media posts. This interaction quickly escalated into daily conversations where the scammer shared personal stories, discussing topics like rock music and motorcycles.
Chloe confirmed that their conversations included voice messages in English. It is suspected that the scammer used AI technology to mimic Keanu Reeves’s voice convincingly. As the relationship developed, the fake Reeves requested financial assistance, asking Chloe to fly to him using a private jet, which would cost 60,000 euros (approximately 2.4 million baht).
The demands did not stop there. The scammer also requested an additional 5,000 euros (approximately 200,000 baht) to purchase a computer essential for writing the screenplay for John Wick 5. He further persuaded Chloe to invest in Bitcoin. Over time, Chloe transferred money to the scammer 16 times, totalling over US$750,000 (approximately 27.5 million baht).
Realising something was amiss, Chloe asked for the return of the large sum of money she had lent. Unsurprisingly, the scammer did not respond, leading Chloe to the painful realisation that she had been deceived.
Earlier this year, a 65 year old woman from Colorado, USA, also fell prey to a similar scam involving a fake Keanu Reeves. She revealed that she had been conversing with the scammer since 2022.
“We got along very well. We talked about everything, from breakfast to having sex in the shower.”
The scammer borrowed over US$5,000 (approximately 183,000 baht) from her. She remained in denial about being scammed until the real Keanu Reeves himself would walk through her door and tell her otherwise, reported UNILAD.
Representatives for Keanu Reeves, the famous Hollywood actor, have clarified that Reeves does not have a Facebook account or any other social media presence.