Police arrest consigned loan scam gang in Rio de Janeiro

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro arrested 14 members of a gang specialized in applying fake payroll loan scams. According to the investigations, the main victims were the elderly and INSS (National Social Security Institute) beneficiaries.

The gang was located this Tuesday (4th), in an office of a mall in the Alcântara neighborhood, in São Gonçalo, metropolitan region of Rio. The space functioned as a kind of call center.

According to the agents, the criminals pretended to be telemarketers and contacted victims informing them that the payroll loan they had contracted was already available for withdrawal. The crooks had a script that simulated dialogue to help trick victims.

When the victim said that he had not asked for the credit, he received instructions from the fake telemarketer to cancel the contract.

Over the phone, criminals asked him to send a selfie holding the photo ID. Then, they sent a link and guided the victim to perform the digital signature to cancel the supposed payroll.

Scammers used the signature and copy of documents to make payroll loans at banking institutions. Also according to the police, the victims only discovered the crime when the amount was deducted from the benefit.

According to the investigations, to complete the scam, the authors informed that if any amount fell into the account, the beneficiary should disregard it and make the chargeback through payment of a boleto. “In this way, the amount was deposited in the account of an orange”, informed the Civil Police, which did not detail the total diverted by the gang.

Documents and 40 computers were also seized, which will undergo forensic examination to help identify possible victims. The suspects will answer for criminal association.