Copacabana Vendor Arrested Over R$10,000 Charge on R$100 Skewer

Overview

• Police detained Caio Alencar in Copacabana after he tried to run a R$10,000 charge for a R$100 meat skewer using a card reader.
• Investigators say a partner handled a tampered card machine that changed the total at the moment of payment.
• Alencar was booked on qualified fraud for use of an electronic device, and detectives say they are tracking the money and other suspects.
• Cases tied to the group have been logged in Copacabana, Ipanema, and Arpoador, with identified victims from England, the Czech Republic, and Argentina.
• Deat says weak oversight of beach vendors makes this scam easier to pull off and urges tourists to report suspect approaches to help stop it.