OAB-RJ has more than 3 thousand complaints about fake lawyer scam

The Brazilian Bar Association, Rio section (OAB-RJ), sent to the Public Security Secretariat of the State of Rio de Janeiro a proposal to include a specific option for recording incidents related to the fake lawyer scam on the Civil Police portal.

The measure should facilitate communication by victims and allow more accurate identification of cases, contributing to combating the scam. Since January 2025, OAB-RJ has received more than 3 thousand complaints about this type of fraud.

The request was formalized in a letter signed by the president of the section, Ana Tereza Basilio. The document requests the assessment of the technical and administrative feasibility of the update, respecting the criminal classification criteria and procedures adopted by the Civil Police.

"The fake lawyer scam harms the population and misuses the identity of legal professionals to deceive victims. We want to facilitate the recording of these incidents and help security agencies have more organized information to combat these frauds. It is a concrete measure to protect society and the legal profession", says Ana Tereza Basilio.

In practice, the proposal is that the system will now offer the False Lawyer Scam option in the section dedicated to reporting and recording incidents.

According to the letter, the inclusion of a separate category can facilitate the formalization of reports, contribute to the systematization of information and strengthen coordination between OAB-RJ and public security bodies.

In the document, the OAB-RJ explains that criminals improperly use names, images, professional registration numbers and other data from lawyers to give the appearance of legitimacy to fraudulent approaches. The scam aims to trick victims into making payments or providing personal and financial information to criminals.

Primer

Concerned about the increase in fake lawyer scams, the OAB-RJ created a guide to guide this type of crime.

“We need to be aware of this criminal practice, which is growing not only in RJ, but throughout the country, putting society's trust in institutions at risk and harming citizens in good faith”, wrote the president of OAB-RJ, Ana Tereza Basilio.

She further clarified that the legal profession cannot be allowed to be tainted by fraudsters who take advantage of other people's vulnerability.

How to act

Scammers consult court systems that are not in secret to obtain the names of the parties, case number, amounts and the contact details of the real lawyer.

They then set up a WhatsApp number with the photo, name and visual identity (logo) of the lawyer or real office.

Then, they get in touch stating that the case was won or that there is a permit for payment, with the cash amount ready to be released.