Fraud scams are present in different environments, from homes to the internet. Rondônia recorded 59,902 incidents of fraud between 2023 and 2025. During this period, 15,600 cases were recorded in 2023, 21,158 in 2024 and 23,144 in 2025.
According to data from the Civil Police, obtained via the Access to Information Law (LAI) and analyzed by the report, the distribution of fraud records in Rondônia shows a strong concentration in the main economic and population centers. Porto Velho leads as the municipality with the highest number of occurrences, concentrating 36.8% of cases. In the interior, Ji-Paraná (8.4%), Vilhena (7.6%), Ariquemes (7.0%) and Cacoal (6.7%) appear next.
The data also shows that a significant portion of the records are related to the virtual environment and incidents classified as residences.
In the period analyzed, fraud records classified as occurrences in a virtual environment increased by 79.6%, going from 4,355 cases in 2023 to 7,824 in 2025. In 2025, the categories "Virtual environment (Internet)" and "Residence" totaled 13,018 records, equivalent to around 56.3% of the 23,144 occurrences that year.
Among the types of fraud practiced in the virtual environment, the so-called fake lawyer scam stands out. According to the Brazilian Bar Association in Rondônia (OAB-RO), more than 400 complaints related to this crime were registered in the state in 2025 alone.
What is the scam and how does it work?
The fake lawyer scam is a fraud in which criminals pretend to be lawyers or members of law firms to deceive clients who have ongoing legal proceedings.
To carry out the scam, criminals can take advantage of public information available in legal proceedings. As a rule, processes in Brazil are public, except in cases of judicial secrecy.
According to the vice-president of the Commission for the Defense of Prerogatives (CDP) and sectional advisor to OAB-RO, Luiz Felipe Andrade, scammers monitor procedural movements and collect data on the internet and on clandestine bases to contact victims.
"It's important to highlight: there is not always a leak from the office or the court [...] They can use all these means, but the most common starting point is public processes and official publications. From this data, criminals create a convincing narrative."
Another point highlighted by the lawyer are the mechanisms used by scammers to create an appearance of legitimacy for fraud. They use WhatsApp, in most cases, phone calls, fake profiles on social networks and even photos of lawyers or office logos.
“The script is usually the same: the scammer provides real data about the process to gain trust and then asks for urgent payment via Pix to release an amount that, in fact, does not exist”, he explains.
Cases in Rondônia
g1 spoke to several lawyers who work in Rondônia and who, for the most part, have already had their names involved in coup attempts via WhatsApp. In one of the cases, lawyer and university professor Cláudio Ramos, from Porto Velho, reported that his image was used by criminals to carry out the scam.
This is not an isolated case. Another victim of the misuse of professional identity is the lawyer who works in the Vale do Guaporé region, Fábio de Paula Nunes. With around 10 years of experience in law, he says he has come across this type of scam more frequently.
To g1, he reported that he has already followed cases in which criminals presented themselves as lawyers or used process information to convince victims to make bank transfers. Therefore, the professional advises clients to take extra care.
“A guideline that I always pass on to my clients is: 'He who has something to receive has nothing to pay.' This phrase serves as an important warning, because, in most scams, criminals claim that the person needs to deposit a certain amount for the Court to release an amount supposedly available in the process”, advises Fábio de Paula.
Lawyer Rosana Silva reports that scammers have already gone to the extreme of sending forged audio messages, pretending to be other colleagues from their own office to give veracity to the charge. Despite the attacks, she says that her clients did not fall for fraud.
“They get really excited when they say they’re going to receive it,” explains Rosana.
To combat this type of scam, the lawyer started to include guidance on fraud in initial conversations with new clients. The strategy is also reinforced by a continuous campaign of alert videos on social media.
According to Luiz Felipe, OAB-RO provides institutional support to lawyers whose names are used by fraudsters. He highlights that the professional is also a victim, because his image, reputation and trust relationship with the client have been damaged.
“In addition to individual measures, OAB Rondônia adopted collective measures, including legal actions aimed at holding accountable and demanding measures from companies whose services have been used to carry out these frauds, such as telephone operators, digital platforms and financial institutions, as appropriate”, he points out.
How to identify and protect yourself from fake lawyer scams
The main guideline is not to make financial decisions based solely on messages received via WhatsApp, according to OAB-RO member, Luiz Felipe. Scammers often use emotional pressure and claim that, if payment is not made quickly, the customer will lose the right to the value of the process.
To protect yourself:
Be wary of urgent requests: messages sent from new numbers, even if they use the office's photo and logo, must be checked. It is also necessary to be wary of Pix requests for third-party accounts or charging fees to release permits, court orders and compensation.
Confirm the professional's identity: before making any transfer, contact the lawyer through a channel that has already been used previously. It is also possible to use ConfirmADV, the OAB's national platform integrated with the National Register of Lawyers, to verify professional identity and official contacts.
Preserve evidence: do not delete suspicious messages or documents. Save screenshots of the conversation, phone number, name used in the profile, Pix key and sent files. This information can help with investigations.
What to do if you fall for the scam: the first step is to immediately contact the bank and request to dispute the transaction, through the Special Return Mechanism (MED), in the case of Pix. Then, file a police report and gather all available evidence. The victim must also notify the lawyer whose name was used.
The lawyer emphasizes that law is a profession based on trust and that the professional whose identity is used by criminals is also a victim of the scheme. The scam can cause damage to the lawyer's image and relationship with clients, in addition to requiring time to alert other people and record incidents.
“The Judiciary does not require Pix to release process values, and any request for urgent payment must be confirmed directly with the lawyer through an official channel”, advises the lawyer.
g1 contacted the State Secretariat for Security, Defense and Citizenship (Sesdec) and the Civil Police to find out what measures are being adopted in view of the increase in records of online fraud, but did not receive a response until the last update of this report.
