Fraudster posing as Luís Castro tries to extort Flamengo’s Léo Ortiz | OneFootball

Suspect was arrested this Wednesday (02) in Rio de Janeiro and had already scammed a Grêmio player

A scammer posing as Grêmio coach Luís Castro tried to extort Flamengo center back Léo Ortiz. The suspect was arrested on the morning of this Wednesday (02) in Rio de Janeiro. Police identified the man as Lucas de Oliveira Eduardo, 29, a former player from Grêmio’s youth academy.

Scam had already worked against a Grêmio forward

Before the attempt against Léo Ortiz, the scam had already worked on Grêmio forward Enamorado. The suspect managed to take R$ 22,000 from the victim through the fake coach scheme via WhatsApp contact.

Attempt against Léo Ortiz and MC Hariel was unsuccessful

When trying to get money from Léo Ortiz and funk artist MC Hariel, the scammer used another name that has not yet been identified. The extortion attempt, however, followed the same pattern as in the previous cases.

By then, police were already monitoring the suspect. So officers warned the center back and the singer in advance before any financial loss occurred. As a result, police action prevented the extortion in this specific case.

Who is the suspect arrested over the scam

Lucas de Oliveira Eduardo allegedly belonged to a group that used fake profiles on messaging apps. The group posed as Portuguese coach Luís Castro to ask football players for PIX transfers. The scam even included a photo of the Portuguese coach to make it look credible.

The suspect was placed in pretrial detention and remains under investigation for two separate crimes. According to the authorities, these are fraud through electronic means and false identity. The courts have already formalized the arrest while the case remains ongoing.

Other victims in the scheme and the status of the investigation

Grêmio center back Walter Kannemann also received contact from the same scammer during the scheme. However, the player became suspicious and went to the police before making any financial transfer. Notably, the scammer even told the defender to train earlier that day.

Former player Andrés D’Alessandro also received contact from the same extortion scheme. So the list of possible victims is growing as the investigation moves forward in the coming weeks.

The case is being handled by Porto Alegre’s 4th Police Precinct. As such, police are working on an operation called ‘False 9’ to uncover new information and possible additional suspects involved.

The author’s opinion on the case

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