Johnny Depp has reportedly been targeted in a major fraud operation, with his credit card details allegedly being leaked and used for suspicious transactions amounting to £520,000 over the course of nearly two years.
The Sun reports that armed police officers stormed the apartment of a 27-year-old man in Budapest, Hungary. In a video of the operation, which was carried out on 6 May, officers in riot gear can be seen arresting a suspect.
The man allegedly obtained Depp’s American Express credit card details, making transactions amounting to £520,000 over the course of nearly two years, with the alleged incidents taking place between January 2024 and December 2025.
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Authorities confirmed that the suspect stole credit card details from online purchases and accommodation bookings on internet platforms, with investigators able to trace suspicious transactions from a high-profile US bank client to a rented flat in Budapest.
The search began earlier in the year when a US bank flagged illegal withdrawals from an account to the Hungarian branch of the FBI. Police then traced the activity through various means, with the search taking them to a residential area of the city.
The suspect denies the accusations, but a court has ordered his pre-trial detention. Investigators are trying to determine how Depp’s credit card details were leaked, and are also examining 308 separate transactions worth more than £536,000.
The actor previously spent time in Budapest while filming Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, a biopic based on the life of artist Amedeo Modigliani. Depp directed the 2024 film, while Al Pacino and Stephen Graham had starring roles.
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The Pirates of the Caribbean star is set to appear alongside Daisy Ridley and Sam Claflin in Ti West’s upcoming Christmas film, Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol. The title role would mark the actor’s first US production since 2020, when he starred in Minamata.
The same year, Depp lost a libel case against The Sun, who claimed that the actor had abused his ex-wife Amber Heard. As a result of the verdict, which Depp unsuccessfully appealed, the actor said that he’d been asked to resign from the Fantastic Beasts franchise. In 2022, Depp won a US libel case against Heard.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
