Owner of company that scammed Flamengo fans arrested | OneFootball

Outsider Tours Company, Owned by Fernando Sampaio de Souza e Silva, Sold Fake Travel Packages

The owner of Outsider Tours, a company frowned upon by Flamengo fans, has been in jail since Tuesday (06) in Santa Catarina. The state’s Civil Police arrested Fernando Sampaio de Souza e Silva for fraud. The accused is also facing over 600 lawsuits across Brazil.

Outsider Tours is responsible for the losses suffered by hundreds of Flamengo supporters in 2022. This happened because the fans had purchased airline tickets, accommodation, and tickets for the final of the Libertadores that year in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

What did Fernando do with the fans’ money?

On the eve of the match between Flamengo and Athletico-PR, Flamengo fans began receiving messages about changes and cancellations to their flights. The reason given was the risk of a volcanic eruption near Quito, which led the Ecuadorian government to issue a yellow danger alert.

The businessman not only deceived the public but also misled Flamengo itself. That’s because the Most Beloved even announced Outsider Tours as the club’s official sponsor, which, of course, did not last long.

Did the scammer stop there?

Fernando’s company’s modus operandi was repeated on several other occasions. The scam struck the Rubro-Negro again in the final of the Libertadores in 2025, when fans were left without tickets at the time of the final in Lima against Palmeiras.

How much damage did the suspect cause?

The debts are piling up: a travel agency from Bahia is suing for R$ 5.9 million, and the Civil Police of São Paulo are investigating a loss of R$ 1.2 million caused to a local company. However, the details of the more than 600 lawsuits are still to be assessed.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.