Police arrest 25 over R$1.2m fraud that closed Brazilian lottery shop
Enforcement & compliance1 min read
Rio Grande do Sul’s Civil Police arrested 25 people in an investigation into an electronic-fraud and money-laundering scheme that forced a lottery shop in Itaara to close 15 days after opening. Police said 41 people were under investigation after a worker transferred more than R$1.2m to fraudsters posing as the owner through WhatsApp.
Civil Police in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state arrested 25 people suspected of involvement in an electronic fraud and money-laundering scheme linked to a lottery shop in Itaara. The shop closed 15 days after opening following a fraud that cost it more than R$1.2m.
Fraudsters used fake WhatsApp accounts to impersonate the shop's owner. An employee made several payments and bank transfers to them, believing the messages were genuine.
Police are investigating 41 people suspected of participating in the group's financial structure. The operation executed 185 court orders across 10 Brazilian states, including search and seizure warrants and freezes on the suspects' accounts and assets. Goiás accounted for the most arrests, with 12 of the 25 people detained.
Police commissioner Carla Dolores Cássio de Almeida said investigators had requested pre-trial detention for the suspects, as well as bank account freezes and vehicle seizures intended to compensate the victim.