# Fraud rise and scams in Portugal, Brazil > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/fraud-rise-and-scams-in-portugal-brazil > Updated: 2026-08-06T18:08:39.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. Recent reports from two separate regions highlight a growing problem with fraud. In Portugal’s Leiria district, police disclosed two distinct scams: a staged vehicle collision in Rio Maior that led to a €10,000 payment after perpetrators pretended to be emergency workers, and a false theft claim in which a 25‑year‑old woman fabricated a €980 robbery. Both cases prompted police warnings about the misuse of emergency services and the legal consequences of false crime reports. In Brazil, a study by the Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Firjan) documented a dramatic increase in reported fraud (estelionato) across the Região dos Lagos from 2015 to 2025, with a 441 % rise statewide and especially steep growth in municipalities such as Maricá. While violent homicide and street robbery rates fell, fraud’s economic impact was estimated at roughly R$ 31.1 billion per year, prompting calls for region‑specific security policies. Together, these snapshots illustrate that fraud is intensifying both as isolated criminal schemes in Portugal and as a broader, statistically documented surge in Brazil, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance and targeted preventive measures. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-06: Rio de Janeiro reports 441% rise in fraud in Região dos Lagos Firjan study shows fraud (estelionato) in Rio de Janeiro jumped 441% in Região dos Lagos and 688% in Maricá between 2015‑2025, while violent crime fell; officials call for regional policies. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rio-de-janeiro-reports-441-rise-in-fraud-in-regio-dos-lagos ### 2026-08-06: Leiria district fraud schemes involve €10,000 scam and false theft report Two fraud cases in Leiria district: a €10,000 scam after a fake collision in Rio Maior and a woman detained for faking a €980 theft, highlighting rising false crime reports. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/leiria-district-fraud-schemes-involve-10000-scam-and-false-theft-report --- Cite as: Fraud rise and scams in Portugal, Brazil. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/fraud-rise-and-scams-in-portugal-brazil