RN Police Crack Down on 'Fake Lawyer' Scam Targeting Court PaymentsThe Civil Police of Rio Grande do Norte launched an operation on Thursday, the 7th, to combat crimes of fraud and electronic scams known as the 'fake lawyer' scam. In this scheme, criminals used fake profiles on messaging apps to impersonate lawyers and induce victims to transfer money, believing they were paying notary fees or legal fees.
The investigations leading to Operation Falsus Causidicus indicate that the suspects used procedural information and confidential data to lend an appearance of legitimacy to their approaches. They posed as the lawyers of victims who had cases in court and induced these individuals to make bank transfers.
In the main case, the victim was induced to make a PIX transfer after believing they were paying supposed notary fees for the release of a judicial credit that did not actually exist. The investigations also revealed that the funds were moved through third-party bank accounts and then passed on to the suspect, to hinder financial tracking and conceal the illicit origin of the resources.
During the police operations, the team found that the man adopted evasive behavior, failing to maintain an updated address and hindering his location, circumstances that justified measures authorized by the court. Search and seizure warrants for homes and persons were executed, along with measures to break confidentiality and various precautionary measures other than imprisonment.
'The judicial measures aimed to seize electronic devices, collect digital records related to the criminal practice, and preserve relevant elements for the deepening of the investigations,' the police reported.
The Civil Police stated that it continues to work on identifying and holding accountable the other members of the criminal scheme, especially those directly involved in executing the scams.
The Civil Police of Rio Grande do Norte emphasized the importance of the population confirming, through official channels, any payment request received via messaging apps, especially those related to court proceedings, legal fees, or supposed fees for the release of funds.