Rio de Janeiro police arrest influencer and dismantle multiple fraud rings

Authorities in Rio de Janeiro have conducted several operations targeting different criminal groups. Influencer Bruno Donato Maffei was arrested in central Rio following a preventive warrant issued by the Justice of Goiás. Maffei is accused of fraud and ideological falsehood, allegedly using his social media following of over 400,000 to sell luxury goods, such as designer bags, that were either counterfeit or never delivered. Investigations suggest he may have defrauded more than 1,000 people since 2019.

In a separate operation, a woman was arrested in Rio de Janeiro for her involvement in a criminal organization that targeted an elderly individual in Paraná through a “false lawyer” scam. The scheme, which resulted in losses exceeding R$ 750,000, involved criminals posing as legal professionals to solicit bank transfers under the guise of releasing judicial indemnities. More than half of the stolen funds have been recovered.

Additionally, police arrested three individuals in Rio's South Zone for operating a taxi scam. The group used tampered card machines to steal passwords and swap credit cards, primarily targeting the elderly. In another action, a leader of a gang operating in the Uruguaiana market area was arrested, and a suspect involved in a vehicle theft ring responsible for over 70 robberies was also apprehended in the Catete neighborhood.