Scammer posing as Luís Castro tries to extort 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 in Grêmio’s youth academy.

Scam had already worked against 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 singer MC Hariel, the scammer used another name that has not yet been identified. The extortion attempt, however, followed the same pattern as the previous cases.

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

Who is the suspect arrested in the fake scheme

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 seem credible.

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

Other victims of the scheme and the status of the investigation

Grêmio center back Walter Kannemann was also contacted by the same scammer during the scheme. However, the player became suspicious of the approach 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. As a result, the list of possible victims continues to grow as the investigation moves forward in the coming weeks.

The case is being handled by the 4th Police Precinct of Porto Alegre. In this way, police are working on an operation called ‘False 9’ to identify new information and possible other 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.