The number of records of scams in the state of Rio reached, between January and July 2022, the top of the historical series, which began in 2003. According to data from the Institute of Public Security (ISP) released on Wednesday (24/08), there were 72,457 occurrences in the first seven months of the year — the equivalent of, on average, 14 cases per hour. The index, until July, has already surpassed the 71,145 scams registered in the whole of last year and is 107% higher than the crimes that reached the police stations between January and July 2021.
The number of deaths in shootings with the police increased by 40% in July this year, compared to the same month in 2021. There were 140 records in the seventh month of 2022, against 100 occurrences in July last year.July was the month this year with the most homicides by the police. The growth in the index was influenced by the operation of the Military and Civil Police that took place in Complexo do Alemão on July 21. This operation left 18 dead, including Military Police officer Bruno da Paula Costa and 50-year-old Letícia Marinho Sales, who was in a car that was shot at by a military police officer.
17/08/2022 – A store on R. Gonçalves Dias, in downtown Rio de Janeiro, was robbed for the third time in less than five months. The first two occurrences were in April. Security camera footage shows the criminal inside the establishment, at 21h28, stealing clothes and even a television.
18/08/2022 – The Military police arrested two men for carrying out the winning ticket scam in Botafogo neighbourhood. According to investigations, the two criminals arrested were responsible for approaching the victims, usually elderly women, with the promise of winning a lottery prize. The third man drove the car with the victims during the action. For hours, the thieves stayed with the victims, making withdrawals and transfers of high values, as well as collecting jewellery and foreign currency, with the promise of receiving a lottery prize as a reward, which did not happen. To convince the victims, the thieves showed money, including foreign currency bills.
Our analysis:
The winning ticket scam is old but continues to claim victims every year. In this scam, criminals create a fantasy plot to make victims believe that by helping a person to withdraw a lottery prize, they will receive part of the money. And how to protect yourself?
- Be wary of promises of quick and easy money
- No matter how convincing a story sounds, always be alert when someone approaches you offering money in exchange for a favour – especially if you don’t know that person
- Never give your bank information, cards, or passwords to other people
- Do not withdraw or transfer money to strangers
- If you find yourself falling to this scam, call the police. If you have already transferred money, file a police report, and contact the financial institution through which the payment was made.
19/08/2022 – A food vendor was murdered by criminals at his workplace, on Avenida Lobo Júnior, in Penha, North Zone. According to witnesses, the killers arrived at the scene on a red motorcycle, wearing black clothes and a helmet to hide their faces. The one on the backfired at the victim’s head, who died immediately. Nothing was taken, and the assassins fled.
20/08/2022 – A man was stabbed in the abdomen after arguing with a bus driver on Estrada do Itanhangá, Itanhangá neighborhood West Zone. According to the first information, the turmoil would have started after the bus driver hit the back of the victim’s car. Then he would have entered the vehicle angered to speak with the driver when he was stabbed at least three times. He was rescued and taken to the hospital where he is hospitalized.
22/08/2022 – An app driver and his passenger were robbed on R. Manoel da Nóbrega, in the Quintino neighborhood, North Zone. Security cameras caught the action.
23/08/2022 – A pediatrician was arrested after stealing a hair product from a store in a luxury mall in Botafogo, South Zone. Police were called by the monitoring center of Shopping Rio Sul, after verifying that the woman had stolen a product worth R$90 from one of the stores.
23/08/2022 – A Chilean was arrested by Civil Police after stealing clothes from a store in Shopping Leblon, in Leblon, South Zone. According to the officers who were at the scene, the pieces totaled R$ 1,100. The arrest came after establishment employees had suspicions about the man and called the police. When officers approached, the theft was discovered.
23/08/2022 – Police officers from the Police Station for Repression of Organized Criminal Actions (DRACO-IE) and the Coordination of Special Resources (CORE) seized an armored car in Nova Iguaçu that, according to investigations, was used by Danilo Dias Lima’s militia, also known as Tandera. The vehicle was in a shed located on R. Brasília, in the Cabuçu neighborhood. According to the police, the armored car was used by militiamen to intimidate opponents and protect criminals during shootings with rivals.
23/08/2022 – A man shot a house in the Ilha do Governador neighborhood. According to witnesses, earlier, the owner of the house called the Municipal Guard, who reprimanded the shooter for disturbing the peace because of the loud sound that was coming from the shooter’s pickup. After the officers left, the man found out about where the complaint had come from. Images show when he shoots at least three times at the residence and leaves the place.
24/08/2022 – An intense shooting took place on Avenida Dom Helder Câmara, in the Cascadura neighborhood, North Zone. Images on social media show many shots and shouting while during a police chase. The images show a car racing and then the police car follows behind.
24/08/2022 – Military police arrested a man who was applying the Federal Revenue scam on victims in the South Zone of Rio. The suspect called, posing as a Federal Revenue employee, and claimed he had a problem with the person’s income tax, a debt. With that, he was able to convince the person to hand over the credit card to pay off that debt.
25/08/2022 – Federal Police (PF) and the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ) began Operation Dynasty to arrest militia member Luís Antônio da Silva Braga, known as Zinho, and 22 of his associates. The MPRJ claims that the gang, the largest active in Rio, “fosters widespread slaughter” against rivals. The group is suspected of the death of another militiaman Jerônimo Guimarães, known as Jerominho.
