The Federal Police carried out two search and seizure warrants, in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, against two suspects, former athletes from Corinthians, Flamengo and Internacional.
The measures are part of the second phase of Operation Fake Agents, launched on the streets this Tuesday afternoon (21), which investigates a criminal association focused on the repeated practice of fraudulent withdrawals from professional football athletes.
The Peruvian player noticed the improper withdrawal from his Guarantee Fund on June 8, 2022, when he went to make a withdrawal in Porto Alegre (RS). The manager of the Caixa Econômica branch where he was staying informed that his FGTS had already been withdrawn a month earlier, in May 2022. The incident was registered with the Federal Police the following day, on June 9, beginning the investigation.
The first phase of Fake Agents was launched on May 28, 2024, when six search and seizure warrants were executed in the metropolitan region of São Paulo.
The Federal Police delegate, Caio Porto Ferreira, from the Caixa Econômica Federal task force, spoke to CNN at the time. According to the delegate, the gang focused on high-value athletes and foreigners in the case of football.
This is because players from other countries, after playing in Brazil and leaving for another country, did not know or forgot about their FGTS reserves. “Fraudsters monitored these accounts, giving priority to those with the largest balances.” The PF representative states that the amount embezzled from Guerrero was the largest among the stolen players.
“The criminals were divided into three groups: one was responsible for obtaining documents, another maintained contact with football professionals and a third maintained contact with banking professionals, using their proximity to open accounts and register applications”, explains the delegate.
The investigation found that three main targets had close ties to active athletes in Brazil and football businesspeople. “False businesspeople used proximity to obtain documents, deceiving athletes, and accessing FGTS accounts”, he details.
The investigation is conducted by the PF/CAIXA Task Force, established by the Regional Superintendency of the Federal Police in São Paulo and by the Board of Directors of Caixa Econômica Federal, to centralize sensitive demands in defending the interests of the Federal Union.
