A Johnny Depp impersonator in Brazil allegedly scammed a retiree out of $40,000, according to Spain’s national newspaper, Marca. The 61-year-old woman reportedly gave the cash, which amounted to more than 200,000 reais in local currency, to a man who pretended to be the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star. Now, she wants justice.
- The scam started back in 2020. The woman, from Osasco, São Paulo, told authorities she started talking to the Johnny Depp impersonator about “everyday life issues” but that their relationship soon developed into something deeper. Throughout this time, the alleged victim truly believed she was speaking to the real Johnny Depp.
- “Johnny Depp” soon began to ask the woman for money. She claims he began to tell her “a sad story and that he needed money for the payment of convictions and in cases which he was involved.” No alarm bells rang, despite the fact that Depp is a multimillionaire to whom money is no object. In fact, the woman was more inclined to believe him since the real star was indeed having legal troubles at the time.
- The victim became romantically involved with the Johnny Depp impersonator. After sending him cash to help with his so-called legal fees, the victim said she began a “romance” with the man, who promised to bring the victim from Brazil to live with him, according to attorney Eduarda Tosi.
- Her lawyer blames the pandemic for the victim falling prey to the scam. Tosi told the court in a criminal complaint that the “pandemic contributed to her believing every lie the scammer told, given the emotional shock she experienced.” The attorney added that the victim was “just looking for a way out or a change of life.” The documents even claim that the victim underwent plastic surgery in anticipation of moving to Los Angeles.
- The victim sacrificed a lot to send money to the scammer. She confessed to selling a car and her house to send the money to the Johnny Depp impersonator. The deposits were allegedly put into an account that the scammer claimed belonged to “his lawyer’s Brazilian friend.”
- It was the victim’s daughter who eventually caught on. She knew her mother was the victim of a scam and put an end to the relationship right away. Faced with the truth, the retiree filed a lawsuit against Banco de Brasil, claiming that they were at fault for letting the scammer open an account “due to lack of maintenance and supervision.” She believed this represented “clear negligence on the part of the bank.” However, Banco de Brasil says the woman “transferred the securities of her own free will.”
