Simone Simms, the owner of a small, unknown art gallery in Nottingham, thought she had landed the opportunity of a lifetime when she believed she was in contact with Hollywood actor and artist Pierce Brosnan. The idea of hosting an exhibition of his artwork, with the actor himself attending to meet fans, seemed like a dream come true. Months of negotiations followed, with what she believed was Brosnan’s legitimate Facebook page and Telegram messaging app. During this time, she exchanged over 200 messages, including voice notes and even a convincing Zoom call that showed a digital version of Brosnan speaking to her from his sprawling £80 million home in Hawaii. The deepfake was so realistic that even her friends, who joined her on one of the calls, were completely fooled, assuring her that the man on the screen was indeed the real Pierce Brosnan. Simone was overjoyed, thrilled at the prospect of working with the actor she had long admired.
Unbeknownst to Simone, however, the entire exchange was an elaborate scam orchestrated by sophisticated scammers using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to create a deepfake of Brosnan. The scammers had generated a convincing likeness of the actor, complete with his distinctive Irish accent and mannerisms, to manipulate Simone into believing she was communicating with the real person. They even went so far as to explain away any issues with the video calls, such as poor sound quality, by blaming it on technological problems. Simone, trusting and enthusiastic, fell completely for the ruse. In her excitement, she sent £3,000 to cover what she believed were shipping fees for Brosnan’s artwork. She also sold £20,000 worth of tickets to fans who were eager to meet the actor at the exhibition. It wasn’t until later, when the real Pierce Brosnan issued a public statement distancing himself from the event, that Simone realized she had been duped.
The moment of truth came when Simone advertised the exhibition and £500 VIP meet-and-greet tickets online. Brosnan’s team quickly caught wind of the promotion and issued a cease-and-desist letter, denying any involvement with the event. Simone was horrified and heartbroken as the truth dawned on her. She had been scammed, and her reputation was on the line. She immediately refunded the £20,000 to the ticket buyers but couldn’t undo the damage that had been done. The incident left her reputation in tatters, with many people assuming she had knowingly tried to scam them. Simone was devastated, not only financially but emotionally as well. She had lost her £30,000 gallery in Long Eaton and felt deeply betrayed—both by the scammers and, in her view, by Brosnan himself for not publicly acknowledging her as a victim.
Simone has since spoken out about the ordeal, hoping to clear her name and raise awareness about the dangers of deepfake technology. She explained how the scammers had exploited her admiration for Brosnan and her passion for art, manipulating her trust and good intentions. Simone described the experience as “the worst time of my life,” saying it felt as though she had been villainized by both the public and Brosnan. While she acknowledged that the actor was also a victim of the scam—his image and voice had been used without his consent—she wished he would publicly recognize her as an innocent victim rather than allowing the narrative to frame her as a villain. Simone emphasized that she would never have organized the exhibition or sold tickets if she had known the truth and that she, too, had been deceived by the sophisticated AI.
The incident has highlighted the growing threat of deepfake scams, which are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect. Simone’s case is just one of many involving fake accounts pretending to be celebrities like Brosnan or other high-profile figures. For example, another woman was recently duped out of £700,000 by a scammer posing as actor Brad Pitt. These scams prey on people’s trust and fandom, using advanced AI to create convincing replicas of famous individuals. Simone’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of relying solely on digital communication and the importance of verifying identities through secure channels.
Looking back, Simone hopes that her experience can serve as a warning to others and encourage people to be more vigilant in the digital age. While she has been forced to close her gallery and rebuild her life, she remains determined to recover and move forward. Simone’s story is a tragic reminder of the dark side of technology and the importance of empathy and understanding in the face of such scams. She is not alone in her suffering, and her courage in sharing her story may help others avoid falling victim to similar schemes in the future.
