Loan sharking scheme with 41 people involved generated R$ 13 million in loans alone

The loan sharking scheme that left at least 18 victims without properties in Campinas (SP) had 41 people involved, including individuals and legal entities, with 11 identified as "leaders" of the criminal organization and another 30 who gave money or played some role in making the activities viable. The information was verified by g1.

Still according to the investigation, the group generated R$13 million in loans alone and made a profit of around R$4.6 million. Both values ​​disregard the valuations of the properties taken from the victims — understand how the scheme worked below.

Three of the 41 involved in the criminal organization are companies, used to issue bills, collect payments and to operate the scheme.

One of these companies even gave money to the victims, although a large part of the loans were "financed" by individuals from nearby families — in a kind of "white-collar loan sharking".

The identifications of the suspects were not revealed by the Public Ministry of São Paulo (MP-SP) because the process is under judicial secrecy and is in the final stages of the investigation phase.

This Friday (6), 11 preventive arrest warrants and 24 search and seizure warrants were served. The operation, called Shylock, investigates crimes such as loan sharking, extortion, money laundering, criminal organization and ideological falsehood.

The group is suspected of illegally lending money and taking properties from people who were unable to pay their debts. According to investigations, at least 62 people were victims of the scheme, and 18 of them lost property.

Among those arrested is a clerk from the 4th Notary Office of Campinas, considered one of the key players in the scheme working.

How did the scheme work?

According to the MP, the suspects offered loans to people who had difficulty obtaining credit from banks and demanded properties as collateral. Individuals and companies gave money to victims in direct bank transfers.

Two people were responsible for drafting the contracts, which provided for lower interest rates than those actually charged. These same suspects sent invoices or PIX keys to the victims to make monthly payments.

A clerk from the 4th Notary's Office of Campinas was responsible for formalizing the loan contract, with the property as collateral. A promissory note was also issued, certifying that the victim owed a certain amount to the creditor who gave the money to make the scheme viable.

A fee, higher than usual in notary offices, was charged for the service. The victims were instructed to make the formalization only with the clerk, who received his share with the payment of the fee.

In general, installment payments by victims were disregarded to artificially increase debts. The money moved passed through several bank accounts in an attempt to "hide" the transactions and make tracking difficult.

Another common situation is that, after a few months, the victims were forced to pay off the entire loan amount or take out a new, larger loan.

A lawyer directly related to the scheme was responsible for prosecuting the cases and seizing the victims' properties.

The scheme step by step

Search for victims: intermediaries looked for people who needed money, especially those who had difficulty obtaining bank loans. To participate, you needed to have a property in your name.

Loan offer: intermediaries put these people in contact with so-called investors, responsible for lending the money.

Signing the contract: the documents were formalized at a notary's office, with interest of 1% per month and due in two or three months, for example. However, the verbal agreements provided for interest of approximately 3% per month and payments for longer periods.

Payment of installments: victims received bills or PIX keys to pay their debts. In some cases, the money was sent to companies or people who did not appear in the contracts as responsible for the loans.

Collection of a larger debt: after a certain period, the suspects began to refuse payments or claim that previous installments had not been paid correctly. As a result, they charged the amounts again, plus interest and fines.

Loss of property: when the debt reached a value that the victim was unable to pay, the group used the guarantee provided for in the contract. Properties could be put up for auction or transferred to creditors themselves.

According to the MP, the contracts were made using a mechanism called fiduciary alienation, which allows a property to be used as collateral for a debt. If payment is not made, the property can be taken by the creditor, provided that the conditions set out in law are met.

In the scheme investigated, however, the suspects would have used this mechanism to take the properties even when the victims tried to continue paying.

During the press conference, prosecutor Rafael Salzedas Arbach, from Gaeco de Campinas, explained that the contracts had conditions different from those verbally agreed with the victims.

"In terms of content, it looked like a legal contract, which provided for a short period of maturity, of two or three months at most, with interest of 1% per month. But, in fact, it was a contract without a defined date with payment of more or less than 3% per month in interest", he stated.

Notary employee is among those arrested

One of the targets of the operation was the clerk at the 4th Notary Office of Campinas. In a note, the registry stated that it is not investigated and has no involvement with the facts investigated by the Public Ministry.

According to the establishment, the investigation involves exclusively the employee, for facts that are still unknown and unrelated to the services provided.

The registry office also informed that the search carried out at the location was restricted to the clerk's desk and that the service continues to operate normally.

The employee's defense, represented by the firm Alex Lúcio Advogados, reported that it requested access to the investigation documents, which are being processed under secrecy.

The lawyers stated that they will only comment on the case after fully analyzing the elements made available to the defense.

Court orders blocking of assets

In addition to the arrests and searches, the Court ordered the freezing of money and assets of those under investigation, as well as the seizure of properties, a measure that seeks to prevent properties from being sold or transferred during the investigation.

According to the MP, the measures aim to interrupt the group's operations, preserve evidence, identify the destination of the money and recover assets that may have been acquired illegally. The operation also seeks to protect victims who may still be subjected to the scheme.

The action was coordinated by the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) of Campinas, with support from the Military Police, through the 1st and 10th Special Police Action Battalions (Baep), and the Civil Police.

The name Shylock refers to a character in the play "The Merchant of Venice", by William Shakespeare, known for lending money and demanding strict guarantees for the payment of debts.