Scam uses the name of the Public Defender's Office and a cloned voice to deceive victims in RS; understand how it works

Scam uses name of the Public Defender's Office and cloned voice to deceive victims in RS Criminals are using information from legal proceedings, messages that appear to be official and even cloned voices of public defenders to scam people served by the Public Defender's Office in Rio Grande do Sul. The RS Civil Police is investigating at least five cases. In some cases, victims are falsely promised million-dollar compensation. In others, they are convinced to click on links that give access to their cell phones and bank accounts. According to investigators, similar cases have already been registered in at least four other states. ? Access the g1 RS channel on WhatsApp The fraud has similar characteristics to the fake lawyer scam. When they make contact, the scammers already know details of the processes and personal data of those assisted, which helps to give credibility to the approach. One of the victims approached the Public Defender's Office to obtain a place in daycare for her five-year-old son. After obtaining the license plate, he received a call from a man who introduced himself as a public defender and stated that it was necessary to complete the process. According to her, the supposed server said that it would be necessary to make a deposit and access a link sent by cell phone. By clicking, the woman gave the criminals control of the device, including access to banking applications. "He called saying he was a public defender and that he wanted to close my minor son's case," says the woman, who was not identified in the report. The victim lost R$899, an amount that represented around a third of her salary and was reserved for the payment of her own home. "I didn't notice. You know when you don't understand things and everything comes too quickly? They start to pressure you and send you messages. Automatically when my account was cleared, he hung up", he says. According to the Public Defender's Office, no amount is charged for services offered to the population. "The Public Defender's Office does not charge for services. It does not charge any type of fee or any type of expense due to the Public Defender's service", states the institution's institutional security advisor, Colonel Gilson Wagner. According to the Colonel, reports of this type of scam reach the institution about once or twice a week. In these cases, according to him, criminals usually inform that the victim has amounts to be received in legal proceedings and demand the payment of fees to release the supposed money. Fake audios simulate public defenders Another strategy adopted by criminals is sending audio messages that simulate the voice of public defenders. In one of the recordings, the victim is informed that he would be entitled to receive compensation in excess of R$124,000 after an alleged favorable decision by the Court. The scammers used the voice of public defender Felipe Kirchner, director of the Consumer Protection and Collective Protection Center. "Myself, when I listen to this, the voice is very similar to mine. We realize that there is some kind of pattern there that is a bit robotic, but it is very similar", says Kirchner. In another audio, the false defender invites the victim to participate in a virtual hearing, in an attempt to reinforce the appearance of legitimacy of the fraud. According to Kirchner, scams have been incorporating increasingly sophisticated technological resources. "Colleagues, defenders and lawyers are also receiving this type of scam, not only with the production of videos, but what is incredible, they emulate avatars in live online conversations", he states. Artificial Intelligence facilitates fraud For information security analyst Cristiano Goulart Borges, the popularization of artificial intelligence tools has contributed to the advancement of this type of crime. "These are not super technologies. Artificial intelligence and models that are used in everyday life, which can be accessed cheaply", explains Borges. In São Sepé, in the Central Region of the State, a 79-year-old retiree almost fell victim to the scam after receiving messages that appeared to have been sent by the Public Defender's Office. "They sent me the message as if it were the Public Defender's Office. Everything seemed like it was real", says the retiree, whose identity was not disclosed. In this case, criminals tried to gain access to the victim's account on the gov.br application. "It was a huge scare. I felt really, really bad. Now I've isolated the phone, I don't answer anything anymore," he reported. Delegate Luciane Bertoletti advises that any request for money or access to accounts and applications should be treated with suspicion: "In this case, be suspicious immediately. If you fell for the scam, immediately contact the police station and register your incident", she points out. The security analyst reinforces that, in the face of suspicious requests, the recommendation is to interrupt contact and seek confirmation directly from the professional or body responsible for the process. "Hang up the phone and call the person who actually asked you for the money. Call the lawyer, call the person you were actually dealing with previously to check if that information is really valid", advises Borges. Woman using her cell phone Reproduction/ RBS TV VIDEOS: Everything about RS