The police arrested two people suspected of extorting people who frequented motels in Rio Grande do Sul. According to investigations, the criminals photographed the victims at the entrance of the establishments and used the images to carry out scams.
According to Delegate Bertoletti, responsible for “Operation Closer”, the criminal association and extortion scheme, known as the Motel Scam, was discovered about a year ago. Scammers used modern torture techniques to extract money from victims.
The case was investigated and two members of the scheme were arrested by agents from the 3rd Canoas Police Station. The cases occurred in Porto Alegre, the metropolitan region and Serra Gaúcha. According to investigations, more than 20 people were victims.
Extortion crime through social engineering
According to investigations, the suspects rented cars and went to motels to record the entry and exit of customers. The group preferred high-end locations and targeted victims who had purchasing power, according to the registered vehicle.
After recording photos and videos of the victims, social engineering work was carried out to gather information that would facilitate extortion. From there, they contacted the victims and threatened to disclose the records to their companions.
During the scams, the gang charged between R$6,000 and R$10,000 per victim. To give “credibility” to the scammers, they sometimes presented themselves as private investigators. The aim was to “ask for a bribe” from the victim, preventing the records from reaching their spouses.
The case delegate revealed that the investigations point to the involvement of two people, responsible for recording and social engineering the scams. A man was responsible for receiving the extorted amounts and the wife of one of them will be indicted for renting the cars used in the criminal action.
According to the Civil Police, two of the four members of the Motel Scam were arrested during the operation. The woman named as an accomplice will be charged, but remains free. The supposed receiver of the values was not found. Police believe this is a homeless person.
“It was used by the two accomplices to open an account and receive these amounts and pass them on. (…) We believe in the possibility of him knowing why the account was opened”, said Bertoletti.
This content was originally published in Motel scam: gang photographed people at the motel to extort them in RS on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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