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Elderly Woman Convinced to Withdraw Savings After Approach on the Streets of Santos in a Sophisticated Scam Involving Winning Ticket, Religious Promise, and Circulation Through Multiple Bank Branches.
An 83-year-old woman lost R$ 28,000 after falling for a scam involving a winning ticket worth R$ 10 million in Santos, on the coast of São Paulo.
The dynamics of the case were initially detailed in a report published by g1, which showed how the victim was convinced by a woman who introduced herself as a Jehovah’s Witness and an accomplice to withdraw almost all her savings from her bank account and hand the amount to the duo.
According to the police report, the retiree was walking along Ministro Xavier de Toledo Street around 11 AM, heading towards Senador Pinheiro Machado Avenue, when she was approached by the suspect.
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According to the reconstruction made by the authorities and also reported by g1, the woman started a conversation asking for help to locate a thrift store nearby.
Approach on the Streets of Santos
While they were talking, a man approached and asked if they knew of any property for rent.
The seemingly casual interaction, as pointed out by g1 in its investigation, helped create an environment of trust for the fraud to be enacted.
During the conversation, the woman displayed a supposed winning lottery ticket, claiming that she had received R$ 10 million and intended to buy a farm in Bahia.
According to reports to the police, she mentioned being a Jehovah’s Witness and said she needed two people to participate in claiming the prize, a justification used to involve the victim and legitimize the request for money.
To reinforce the false narrative, the accomplice called a supposed employee of Caixa Econômica Federal.
He simulated a check of the ticket and, after a few seconds, claimed that the prize was legitimate.
The elderly woman said she believed the confirmation, as the whole action seemed carefully structured.
Circulation Through Bank Branches
Convinced by the duo, the retiree got into the car driven by the man.
The group went to a bank branch on Avenida Marechal Floriano Peixoto, where she withdrew R$ 5,000 and handed the amount to the woman.
After that, according to the report recorded and released by g1, the elderly woman visited five other branches in different neighborhoods, always making new withdrawals alone and passing the money to the scammers.
In total, she withdrew R$ 28,000 from her savings. After the withdrawals, the man left the elderly woman near her residence.
Only later, realizing that the duo would not return and that there was no prize at all, did she seek the police to file a report.
Investigation by the 7th Police District
The episode was recorded as fraud at the 7th Police District in Santos.
Investigators are looking into whether the same duo may have committed similar scams in the city or the region, as the so-called “winning ticket scam” has been reported frequently in various parts of the country.
This type of crime often targets elderly people, using stories that involve religiosity, promises of immediate profit, and simulated calls from banks.
In its coverage, g1 also pointed out that the scam follows patterns known to the authorities, such as the approach in public places, the presentation of a supposedly winning ticket, and the demand for money to release the fictitious million-dollar prize.
As explained by security experts consulted by various media outlets, although the strategy may vary, the logic of the scam is usually similar: criminals appeal to emotion, offer quick financial benefits, and try to prevent the victim from verifying the information themselves.
In the case of the elderly woman from Santos, the combination of religious elements, the presence of two people acting in a coordinated manner, and the simulation of a call to Caixa contributed to the sense of credibility.
The victim reported to the authorities that at no point did she suspect that she was facing a fraud.
Safety Guidelines
Security agencies emphasize that no one should hand over money, make withdrawals, or provide documents in exchange for supposed prizes, inheritances, or unsolicited benefits.
The advice is to seek family members, contact official channels of the mentioned institutions, and, whenever possible, file a police report in case of suspicious approach attempts.
In the midst of a scam that began with a simple request for information on the street and ended with the loss of all savings of a retiree, an essential question arises for many families: how to enhance the protection of the elderly so that criminals do not continue to exploit vulnerable situations?
Os bancos não deveria liberar sem apresenta de um parente. Até porque se trata de um pessoa idosa. Pra me o banco errou muito. E tem q devolver a quantia q ela perdeu.
Doubly sad as it is well known that Jehovah’s witnesses do not gamble or buy lottery tickets.