A woman contacted civilian police after receiving threats from unidentified individuals who said they would kill her children in Chapeco, west of Santa Catarina. This is just one of the cases of such scams that have been recorded in recent days.

Fraud is carried out by phone, and a lot of information appears on the social networks of the victims – Photo: Pixabay / Disclosure / ND

The woman, fearful that something bad would happen to her children, ended up making four deposits through Pix. When the latter was made in the amount of 300 reais, the criminals demanded another 500 reais through threats. According to the police, the victim lost a total of 1,500 reais.

Civil police spokesman Eder Matte explains that scammers get victims’ phone numbers, find them on social media, and examine personal information. In some cases, they even manage to find out which school their children attend.

“Usually these scammers are based in other states and work with the power of persuasion and in some cases the emotional vulnerability of the victims. When they get in touch, they already have a lot of information that causes fear in the victims, ”he clarifies.

The delegate makes an alert about strikes. “Every day we receive at least one report of such crimes related to extortion. We ask the public to call the police or look for the nearest police station before taking any action,” he advises.