Police Crack Down on Multi‑State ‘Fake Lawyer’ Scam in Brazil

Overview

• The operation, which unfolded Tuesday, resulted in six preventive arrests and 21 search warrants across Alagoas, São Paulo, Ceará and Bahia.
• Police in Maceió detained a 28-year-old suspected leader and seized R$10,470 in cash, electronics, phones, tablets and a cash-counting machine from an apartment.
• According to police and the OAB, the group logged in with leaked attorney credentials to spot people due court-ordered public payments known as precatórios, then cloned the lawyer’s identity, faked hearings with AI and sent forged court papers to demand bogus fees by Pix.
• Data analysis by investigators found that one key suspect moved more than R$5 million in a short span and funded an ostentatious lifestyle with luxury travel and high-end purchases.
• The OAB says it is preparing a collective civil action to involve the Central Bank, Coaf and tech firms and urges clients to confirm any payment request with their lawyer through official channels and report suspected fraud to police.