Woman claims to have been scammed out of R$238,000 believing she was helping Arnold Schwarzenegger

A 74-year-old resident of Caraguatatuba, on the coast of São Paulo, went to court in May of this year to ask for restitution and a fine in the amount of R$238,568.00, which were paid to a group of twelve people who allegedly impersonated actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The case, initially revealed by the UOL portal and later confirmed by CNN shows that the victim claims to have been deceived by fraudsters after having contact with someone who introduced himself as the famous actor, who was reportedly experiencing financial difficulties.

In the court documents, the woman says she sold her car, house and took out loans, believing she was helping Schwarzenegger, who promised to return the money. The victim claims the group told her the actor had a significant amount with the cash-in-transit company “BRINKS,” and that this amount would be given to her in exchange for her help.

Conversations with the “actor”

One of the conversations attached to the lawsuit shows the alleged actor, identified in the victim’s address book as Arnold Schwarzenegger, addressing her with the phrase “Hello Sweetheart.” The woman, thinking she was speaking to the actor, asked if he would come to Brazil to recover the money that was supposed to be paid to her.

Upon realizing that she might have been scammed, the victim says in the conversation that her financial situation was precarious and that she was at risk of becoming homeless. In a moment of despair, she laments: “I have nothing in my life.”

Even after making several deposits into the accounts indicated by the scammers, the woman threatened to contact the FBI, the federal investigation unit of the American police, believing that she was dealing with an international situation.

The case is still ongoing in the São Paulo courts. The people named by the victim are being sought to present their version of the facts. In the meantime, the woman is waiting to recover the lost funds.