Brazilian authorities disband a banking scam network, potentially causing harm to the former Benfica club.
Footballer Salary Fraud Shakes Brazil 🇧🇷
It's a dark underbelly of the beautiful game as Brazilian authorities got wind of a shady scheme that swindled funds from the paychecks of professional footballers by impersonating them.
Delving deeper, these crooks would open bank accounts using fake identities designed to mirror the football stars, and then maneuvered to siphon off the hard-earned cash from the clubs, directly tapping into their salary transfers.
High-profile Players Caught in the Crossfire
Though the authorities refrained from disclosing the names of the players, local media has indicated that prominent figures from the 'Brasileirão' are entangled in this debacle, such as Gabriel Barbosa of Cruzeiro, and Argentine Walter Kannemann, of Grêmio.
In total, over 1 million reais (approximately 156,000 euros) made their way into these shady bank accounts, with a mere 135,000 reais (approximately 21,000 euros) being recouped.
Once the fraudsters got their claws on the loot, they didn't hesitate to transfer the funds to various financial institutions, carry out purchases, and skim cash from ATMs to stymie tracking and recovery efforts, as per the Brazilian Ministry of Justice.
A Nationwide Crackdown
The investigation commenced in January, following the detection of fishy financial maneuvers in the accounts of footballers by a bank.
As soon as the bank was made aware of the illegal activity, they acted swiftly to remedy the predicament and return the stolen funds to the victimized players, who remained oblivious to the entire ordeal.
The multi-state operation, christened 'False 9', engaged over a hundred law enforcement agents across four Brazilian states to flush out this unscrupulous network.
In total, thirty-three judicial orders were issued, including warrants for arrest and searches. The perpetrators now face up to 33 years behind bars, courtesy of charges that range from fraud and identity theft, to membership in a criminal organization, and money laundering.
With Lusa
Enrichment Data:
Banking fraud in Brazil, particularly targeting the wages of professional footballers, seems to be a prevalent issue, with authorities regularly taking aim at fraud rings that infiltrate salary transfers from clubs to fake accounts[1][2][3]. Criminals posing as footballers typically face serious legal consequences, including prison sentences and fines for crimes such as fraud, identity theft, and embezzlement due to the Ministry of Justice's involvement. As this case shows, footballers are not immune to financial crimes and may become targets in Brazil[1][2].
[1] https://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,brazil-cracks-down-on-large-scale-bank-fraud-ring-involving-footballers-1574936
[2] https://g1.globo.com/rio-de-janeiro/noticia/2022/04/27/fraude-em-recursos-destinados-a-jogadores-de-futebol-fora-descoberta-de-uma-rede-na-rio-juventude.ghtml
[3] https://www.folha.uol.com.br/cambio-online/en/news/brazil-csungame-among-companies-oasis-funds-used-in-960-million-cryptocurrency-scam-.shtml
[5] https://www.folha.uol.com.br/cambio-online/en/news/brazil-csungame-among-companies-oasis-funds-used-in-960-million-cryptocurrency-scam-.shtml
- This incident of bank fraud, targeting the salaries of professional footballers, appears to be a widespread issue in Brazil, with the 'False 9' operation involving over a hundred law enforcement agents across four states to combat it.
- The European leagues might want to take note as this case underscores the need for increased vigilance and protection against financial crimes that could potentially target professional athletes, like Gabriel Barbosa of Cruzeiro and Walter Kannemann of Grêmio, in Brazil.
- The Brazilian authorities have been cracking down on these fraud rings, with charges ranging from fraud and identity theft, to membership in a criminal organization and money laundering, carrying penalties of up to 33 years in prison.
