Rio Police Probe Website Selling Fake Sick Notes After Portal Goes Offline

Overview

• The site validateatestado.com went offline after a police complaint, and the Civil Police opened inquiries led by the cybercrime unit with support from precincts in Ipanema and Nova Friburgo.
• An employer who suspected a staffer’s note tested the portal by paying R$49.90 by Pix and received a one‑day medical excuse for severe menstrual cramps without any consultation.
• A Pix receipt listed GRB Negócios Digitais Ltda, based in Londrina, as the payee, with an active CNPJ created in December 2023 and a single 23‑year‑old owner.
• Investigators plan to hear the employee who used the document and the doctor named as signer, who lives in Italy and says her identity was misused and has now filed a police report.
• Employers report heavy HR strain and slow checks, with a major Rio retailer logging 15,828 sick notes in the first quarter and finding 39 fakes, while Firjan readies training and some cities even charge fees to confirm authenticity.