Brazil police arrest two suspects in fake‑lawyer scam targeting victims

A financial manager in São José do Rio Preto reported a fraud in which impostors posing as a lawyer and a court employee convinced her to transfer R$ 293,000 via Pix and pay bills. The case was logged by the local police on 14 July and is being investigated by the 3rd Police District.

In a related operation dubbed “Fake Lawyer,” the Civil Police’s Delegacy for Computer Crime (DRCI) arrested two suspects – one in Rio de Janeiro and another in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, São Paulo – after a victim was duped into sending about R$ 65,000 to receive alleged court‑related funds. Both men were placed in preventive detention and indicted for estelionato. Authorities warned that the scammers use false judicial documents and social‑media profiles to steal money and urged the public to verify any payment requests with their actual lawyers.

The investigations continue to identify all participants and recover the stolen amounts.