U.S. Tourist Says Thieves Drained $40,000 After Phone Snatch in Rio’s Lapa

Overview

• The victim, Amber Berumen, says her phone was pulled through the open front window of a ride-hailing car near the Arcos da Lapa during Carnival.
• She reports she jumped out to chase the thief but was blocked by an accomplice and lost sight of the suspect.
• Berumen says the thieves took over her bank and email accounts, withdrew more than $40,000, and changed her email password and language to Portuguese.
• She told Extra on Friday that she has regained access to her email and bank accounts after seeing notifications that other apps, including Disney Plus, were accessed.
• The Civil Police said no occurrence had been registered at the tourism unit (DEAT), and Berumen said she intends to file there after returning to Rio from a trip to São Paulo.