Brazil police warn of WhatsApp scams that have swindled elderly out of over R$750,000

Police in the Brazilian towns of Campina da Lagoa and São Pedro do Ivaí reported separate cases of WhatsApp‑based fraud that targeted elderly residents. In Campina da Lagoa, an older person was deceived by messages that used a lawyer’s photo and later a supposed justice‑of‑the‑peace, leading to more than R$750,000 being transferred to the perpetrators. In São Pedro do Ivaí, a 61‑year‑old woman lost R$8,100 after a fraudster posing as a Sicredi bank manager instructed her to provide security‑code data, enabling the theft of funds from two accounts.

Both incidents were filed as estelionato (fraud) with the Civil Police, which have opened investigations to trace the transfers, identify the suspects and recover the losses. Authorities warned that lawyers, judges, prosecutors and bank officials never request deposits or transfers to release court or loan funds, and urged the public—especially seniors and their families—to verify any such requests directly with the relevant institutions.