Scammers use the name of the Pará Public Defender's Office to charge for free services on WhatsApp

Criminals pretend to be public defenders or employees of the Pará Public Defender's Office on WhatsApp and ask for Pix or transfers to, supposedly, free up money from legal proceedings. They also send video call links.

These charges are scams. All of the Defender’s Office services are free: the institution does not ask for money to provide assistance, move processes, issue documents or release legal amounts.

To check whether the phone number that sent the message is from the Public Defender's Office, the citizen can access defenderia.pa.def.br, via cell phone or computer. On the home page, simply click on the phone verification banner and enter the number you contacted. The tool informs whether it is registered as an official channel of the institution.

The advice is to stop the conversation, do not make payments and check the contact directly on official channels. The Defender's Office reinforces that its services are free and that defenders and servers are not authorized to make video calls.

How to check the number

The query can be done in a few steps:

1. Access defenderia.pa.def.br.

2. On the home page, look for the phone checker tool banner.

3. Click and enter the number you contacted.

4. Check if it is registered as an official Defender’s Office channel.

To carry out the consultation, go directly to the institution's website. Do not use links sent by the suspicious contact.

Even when checking your phone number, remember: no service from the Public Defender's Office requires Pix, deposit, transfer or payment of a fee.

What are the signs of a scam?

Be wary of messages that, in the name of the Public Defender’s Office:

- Ask for money to release or move a process.

- They cover the issuance of documents.

- Demand payment so that you receive legal amounts.

- Send links for video calls.

- Request passwords, codes received via SMS or bank information.

Scammers use trust in the institution to target people looking for free legal assistance. The general public defender, Mônica Belém, warns that the damage could compromise the livelihood of families in vulnerable situations.

I received a suspicious message. What do I do?

Stop the conversation and do not transfer money. Do not share personal data, passwords, confirmation codes or banking information.

Save screenshots of messages, the number used in the contact and any Pix keys. If payment was made, also preserve the receipts. These records can help with investigations.

To confirm information or report a suspicious contact, contact the Public Defender's Office through official channels:

- In the Metropolitan Region of Belém: call 129.

- In the interior of Pará: check the telephone numbers and addresses on the Locate a Defender's Office page.

The tool checks the phone's registration. It does not replace care with the content of the message: charging for a Public Defender's Office service is a sign of a scam.