The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro arrested three people suspected of being part of a criminal organization specialized in the lottery ticket scam. The group operated primarily on the streets of Rio's South Zone, approaching elderly people and convincing victims to hand over money, jewelry, or make bank transfers in exchange for supposedly winning lottery tickets.
The investigation began after an elderly woman was victimized by the scam on September 2, in Gávea. The victim was approached by a couple while walking down the street. The suspects informed her they had a winning lottery ticket worth R$ 10 million, but claimed they could not collect the prize due to religious reasons.
The elderly woman believed the story and agreed to pay R$ 60,000 for the supposed prize. The criminals put the victim in a car and took her to a bank branch, where she made a transfer to an account indicated by the group. In return, she received a fake ticket.
The arrest of the three suspects was made possible thanks to security camera footage recorded in the area, which helped identify the members of the criminal organization.
