Financial fraud schemes involving Brazilian nationals

Originally from Wikipedia · Est. Jan 2026

Financial fraud schemes involving Brazilian nationals have been described in reporting by Brazilian and international media, including cases investigated or prosecuted in the United States. According to published reports, allegations in these cases have included the use of false identities and documentation to create accounts for app-based work platforms, cryptocurrency-related investment and pyramid schemes, and immigration-related fraud such as false job offers or sham marriage arrangements. In some cases, reporting has noted the involvement of both Brazilian authorities and U.S. agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service (U.S. Secret Service).

This article summarises reporting on selected cases and does not attempt to list all incidents.

Media coverage

Brazilian news outlets have reported on cases in which Brazilian nationals were investigated, charged, or convicted abroad for fraud-related offences, particularly in the United States. Coverage has included schemes alleged to involve the creation and rental of false accounts for app-based drivers and couriers using stolen identities, investigations into cryptocurrency-related investment schemes. and immigration-related fraud involving false job offers, document falsification, and sham arrangements.

Common types of schemes

Identity-based and account-creation fraud (gig-economy platforms)

Media reports have described cases in which Brazilian suspects were alleged to have used stolen personal data and forged documents to create accounts on ride-hailing and delivery platforms, which were then sold or rented to individuals who did not meet platform requirements. In at least one investigation in the United States, Brazilian nationals were reported as having been arrested by the FBI, while others were described as suspects in a broader conspiracy connected to this type of account fraud.

Brazilian outlets have reported on investigations in the United States into alleged cryptocurrency-based pyramid and investment schemes involving Brazilian nationals. In some cases, U.S. authorities and market regulators announced accusations that such schemes generated substantial losses for investors, with reporting referencing the involvement of multiple U.S. enforcement and regulatory bodies.

Other reporting has focused on fraud connected to immigration processes, including false job offers and document falsification used to obtain U.S. visas, as well as alleged schemes involving marriages arranged for immigration purposes. Some reports describe schemes that affected thousands of victims and involved significant financial losses alongside criminal proceedings in the United States.

International Cooperation

Coverage of some investigations has referred to cooperation between Brazilian authorities and foreign agencies. In one case reported in Brazil, the Federal Police stated that a domestic investigation into suspected fraud abroad began after preliminary information was shared by the United States Secret Service. Other operations described in Brazil reporting have involved coordination across multiple countries, including arrests abroad with support from organisations such as Interpol.

Examples

  • App-platform account fraud investigations in the United States involving Brazilian suspects.
  • U.S. accusations involving a cryptocurrency-related pyramid scheme with Brazilian nationals among the targets.

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