The Federal Police points out that an organization owned by banker Daniel Vorcaro paid up to R$2 million to digital influencers to attack the Central Bank on social media. Minister André Mendonça, of the STF, authorized the search and seizure of publicist Thiago Miranda Silva this Thursday (9), identified as the organizer of the scheme. To publicize the attacks, the contractors signed a confidentiality agreement with a fine of R$800,000 before knowing the details of the publications. According to investigations, the resources originated in Vorcaro and came from financial fraud at Banco Master, investigated in Operation Compliance Zero in 2025. The PF states that the group also monitored, created dossiers and intimidated journalists and businesspeople who were considered obstacles to the banker's interests. The propaganda operation even had a name: "Project DV" — Daniel Vorcaro's initials. According to Miranda's defense, the publicist's professional performance has always been guided by "legality, transparency, respect for institutions and the free exercise of freedom of expression". In a note, the lawyer says that he did not commit a "criminal act" and "did not participate in conduct aimed at intimidating, coercing, embarrassing or violating the rights of third parties." According to the PF, the group was looking for influencers and journalists with contract proposals. The objective was clear: to publish content favorable to Banco Master and question the bank's liquidation by the Central Bank. Before knowing what it was about, the contractor needed to sign a confidentiality agreement. The fine for breach of confidentiality was R$800,000. Only after signing was the work revealed. This is what, for example, councilor Rony Gabriel said, heard by the PF. According to him, a representative from the company UNLTD offered a "reputation management" job to "an important executive." After signing the agreement, the councilor knew what he should do: record videos saying that Banco Master had been a "victim" of the Central Bank. Anyone who refused the offers became a target, says the PF. The group used private information, obtained illegally, to intimidate and coerce those who did not join the project. According to the decision, payments to influencers were made by Thiago Miranda himself. He confirmed this in testimony. The money, however, originated in Vorcaro. Miranda said he used part of the resources received from the sale of a stake in the Léo Dias news portal. The amounts were transferred by Super Empreendimentos e Participações, the banker's company. For the PF, the resources came from the Banco Master financial fraud scheme — investigated by Operation Compliance Zero, which arrested Vorcaro in November 2025. The publicist confirmed that the project provided for "materials to be published in the media about the arrest and the entire investigation related to Master". The group was not limited to buying posts, says the PF. He also watched whoever bothered him. Miranda and Vorcaro discussed strategies against journalist Malu Gaspar, from O Globo, who covered the Master case. Her financial, family and assets data were collected — from credit card expenses to the car she uses. The objective, according to the PF, was to embarrass and discredit the journalist. The same method would have been used against Milton Maluhy Filho, president of Itaú, and his wife. “I need to do a survey on Milton Maluhy,” Vorcaro wrote to Miranda. The answer came immediately: "Leave it to me." A dossier about the couple, with the label of Miranda's agency, circulated between the two. Miranda also told Vorcaro that he had a close relationship with the partner of Gabriel Galípolo, president of the Central Bank — a closeness that, for the PF, would be used in favor of the group. There was also direct pressure on journalists to take down reports. When a piece of content went offline, Miranda celebrated: "Another one archived!"
For minister André Mendonça, the elements gathered are not "mere conjectures". The decision authorizes the seizure of Thiago Miranda's documents, cell phones and cloud data, with the removal of banking, tax and telephone secrecy. The PGR was in favor of the searches. According to the minister, the group has "mafia contours" and acted against anyone seen as an obstacle to Vorcaro's interests.