# Brazilian woman convicted of identity fraud

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/brazilian-woman-convicted-of-identity-fraud
> Updated: 2026-08-21T18:34:00.000Z. Sources: 47. Developments: 2.

Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, a 38-year-old woman, was convicted in Joinville, Santa Catarina, for fraud and using a false identity. For approximately 14 months, Oliveira deceived a family by posing as a 12-year-old girl named Gabriele Ferreira dos Santos. To sustain the ruse, she utilized an infantilized voice, children’s toys, baby bottles, and pacifiers, while claiming she had fled abuse and suffered from health issues such as autism.

The family provided her with housing, food, medical care, and financial support, even celebrating what they believed was her 12th birthday. To explain her adult appearance, she alleged she had been forced to take hormones as a child. The deception was uncovered after a relative discovered online reports regarding Oliveira in other Brazilian states. Following her arrest on June 2, investigators linked her to seven additional alleged scams across at least seven different states.

Oliveira was sentenced to a term of imprisonment consisting of one year, six months, and 10 days, plus an additional 4 months and 18 days of detention. The court ruled that her actions constituted a “conscious effort to induce the victims into error for material benefit.” While the prosecution relied on cell phone forensics and witness testimony, the defense argued that she suffers from psychiatric conditions requiring specialized treatment and that the deception was a survival mechanism for an individual who had previously lived on the streets.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-21: Brazil woman sentenced for posing as 12-year-old girl

A Brazilian woman, Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, was sentenced to prison after posing as a 12-year-old girl to be adopted by a family in Joinville, deceiving them for 14 months.

29 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazilian-woman-jailed-for-posing-as-12-year-old-to-deceive-family

### 2026-08-19: Joinville woman convicted for posing as 12-year-old to defraud family

A 38-year-old woman in Joinville, Brazil, was convicted of fraud and false identity after posing as a 12-year-old girl to live with a family for 14 months.

18 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/justiz-terceirizao-executive-contests-rio-grande-do-norte-health-secretary

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Cite as: Brazilian woman convicted of identity fraud. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/brazilian-woman-convicted-of-identity-fraud