AI-Generated Deepfake Used in Fraudulent Grêmio Mania Store Scam
A criminal network used AI-generated deepfake videos of former Grêmio footballer Pedro Geromel in a phishing scheme promoting fake Grêmio Mania store websites with heavily discounted merchandise. Dozens of customers in Rio Grande do Sul were defrauded between January and February 2025, with police arresting multiple suspects during Operation Manto in November.
What happened
A criminal network created a fake Grêmio Mania website and social media profiles to promote official Grêmio merchandise at discounts of 65–70%, using sponsored advertising campaigns to direct victims to the fraudulent site.
The scammers used artificial intelligence to generate a deepfake video of Pedro Geromel, ex-defender for Grêmio, as part of the fraud scheme.
Victims made payments but did not receive the products ordered. The criminals structured a shell company as a payment intermediary to receive fraud proceeds, centralize Pix payments, and enable replication of the scam across multiple fake e-commerce models.
Reported impact
At least 10 victims reported the fraud to police in Porto Alegre alone, with additional reports from other municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul.
The fake website domain remained active after the scam concluded, creating potential for future fraud.
Index analysis
Operation Manto, conducted by the Departamento Estadual de Repressão aos Crimes Cibernéticos, resulted in three arrest warrants and ten search-and-seizure warrants across São Paulo and Paraná.
Two suspects suspected of orchestrating the scheme and the operator of the payment gateway were arrested.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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