Common Things That Are Crimes You May Have Committed Unknowingly — From Opening Someone Else's Mail to Finding Something and Not Returning It, According to the Law, Can Result in Imprisonment or Fines

Common Things That Are Crimes You May Have Committed Unknowingly — From Opening Someone Else’s Mail to Finding Something and Not Returning It, According to the Law, Can Result in Imprisonment or Fines

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 20/09/2025 at 12:45

Updated on 20/09/2025 at 12:56

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Five Common Practices of the Day That Seem Harmless But Are Considered Crimes by Brazilian Law and Can Lead to Serious Consequences

When it comes to crime, most people tend to imagine serious offenses or grave actions. However, there are simple everyday practices that the law also considers criminal. Some of them may seem trivial, but they still have legal consequences. Check below five examples that may have gone unnoticed. The following information is from the JusBrasil Portal.

Violation of Correspondence

Opening a letter, package, or any correspondence that is not addressed to you is a crime. The mere intention to read or become aware of the content is enough to constitute the offense provided for in Article 151 of the Penal Code.

Therefore, even if curiosity gets the better of you, you should not tamper with something that belongs to someone else. (Detention of one to six months, or fine).

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The Famous “Found Is Not Stolen” Is a Crime

The popular saying may seem correct, but failing to return a found object is a crime, according to Article 169 of the Penal Code.

Therefore, if you find a lost item, the legal way is to return it to its owner. If you do not know who they are, you must deliver it to the competent authorities within 15 days. (Detention of one month to one year, or fine).

Lending Vehicle to Unlicensed Individual

Handing over or trusting the operation of a vehicle to someone who does not have a license, or whose license is suspended or revoked, is a crime.

Article 310 of the Brazilian Traffic Code addresses the practice as “mere conduct,” meaning it is sufficient to allow someone unqualified to take the wheel.

Thus, if you often lend your car without thinking, it is important to reevaluate this habit. (Detention of six months to one year, or fine).

Supplying Alcoholic Beverages to Minors

Offering alcoholic beverages to children or adolescents, even without charging, is a crime.

Article 243 of the Statute of the Child and Adolescent considers any form of delivery, sale, or service of alcohol to individuals under 18 years old illegal.

And it is not necessary for the young person to consume the beverage for the crime to be established. (Detention of two to four years, and fine, if the act is not a more serious crime).

Digital or Physical Piracy Is a Crime

Downloading music, movies, books, or series without authorization is a very common practice. However, it constitutes a crime against copyright, as provided for in Article 184 of the Penal Code.

The detail is that it does not matter whether there is profit or not. Merely downloading or reproducing without authorization is enough to characterize the offense.

These situations show that seemingly harmless actions can have serious implications. Therefore, knowing the law is essential because it helps avoid problems that may arise from actions often taken without thought.

(Simple form: detention of three months to one year, or fine). If the reproduction is with the intent of profit (sale, distribution, etc.): imprisonment of two to four years, and fine.

With information from JusBrasil.

Common Things That Are Crimes You May Have Committed Unknowingly — From Opening Someone Else’s Mail to Finding Something and Not Returning It, According to the Law, Can Result in Imprisonment or Fines

Five Common Practices of the Day That Seem Harmless But Are Considered Crimes by Brazilian Law and Can Lead to Serious Consequences

Violation of Correspondence

The Famous “Found Is Not Stolen” Is a Crime

Lending Vehicle to Unlicensed Individual

Supplying Alcoholic Beverages to Minors

Digital or Physical Piracy Is a Crime

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Common Things That Are Crimes You May Have Committed Unknowingly — From Opening Someone Else’s Mail to Finding Something and Not Returning It, According to the Law, Can Result in Imprisonment or Fines

Five Common Practices of the Day That Seem Harmless But Are Considered Crimes by Brazilian Law and Can Lead to Serious Consequences

Violation of Correspondence

The Famous “Found Is Not Stolen” Is a Crime

Lending Vehicle to Unlicensed Individual

Supplying Alcoholic Beverages to Minors

Digital or Physical Piracy Is a Crime

Gaddafi built the world’s largest artificial river under the Sahara — it’s 4,000 km of giant pipes that pump 40,000-year-old fossil water to entire cities in Libya.

Discovery in Africa scares even scientists: a study published on April 23 reveals that the crust in Turkana has become so thin that it could pave the way for the continent’s division and the emergence of an ocean in the future, in a gigantic geological transformation.

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Japanese garbage collectors treat filthy trucks as if they were dealership cars, and the obsession with cleanliness is so absurd that they invented a washing machine that only exists for this type of vehicle.

An unmanned Russian ship has been drifting in the Mediterranean for 57 days with 60,000 tons of gas — the second towing attempt has just failed.

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