TOOK A TURN! EX-FLAMENGO SUFFERS SCAM OF 2.3 MILLION REAIS

Forward Paolo Guerrero, ex-Flamengo, was targeted by called the FGTS scam (Service Time Guarantee Fund). Fantástico, from TV Globo, detailed the scheme that diverted more than R$2 million from the Peruvian's benefit and that had other players as targets.

Detailed case

Guerrero had R$2.3 million transferred from his FGTS to an account illegally opened in the player's name at a private bank. The account was opened on May 5, 2022 at a branch in the Bom Retiro neighborhood, in the center of São Paulo. On that date, the player was in the USA undergoing knee treatment.

The player's money was sent to the accounts of five people. The biometrics registration at the bank was done using a cell phone registered to the player's fake account. The Peruvian striker's lawyer said he received a call from a former driver saying that people who withdrew the amount wanted to return it.

In addition to Guerreiro, other players were victims of the scam, such as Elano, Cueva, Maikon Leite , Joao Rojas and Ramires. The Fantástico report reported that, for the PF investigation, the gang has been operating since 2014 and involves football businesspeople, bank employees, lawyers and former players. b>

According to the PF, the gang researches athletes who have recently left Inter. Then, with false documents and signatures, he accesses the fund and opens accounts in other banks. Finally, they move the diverted money to the orange account.

"Somehow they accessed the players' real documents to falsify them and open current accounts to receive these diverted FGTS resources", said Caio Porto Ferreira , PF delegate/Caixa-PF task force

Those involved

According to Fantástico, Gustavo Gonçalves de Barros received R$402.7 thousand. He is a partner in a company called FGL Marketing e Esporte. 

His partner, football businessman Fernando Costa de Almeida, sent a power of attorney supposedly signed by Guerreiro to the company in an exchange of messages. According to the TV, the businessman hired a specialized office to investigate the social security situations of professional athletes and take care of transfers.

José Orlando de Almeida is also being investigated. He is the father of a third partner at FGL Marketing e Esporte and a relative of people who received FGTS amounts from the Peruvian player.

The police are still investigating the involvement of Sergio Rogério Melo da Costa in the scheme. In 2021, he was arrested for raping call girls and keeping them in private prison in Rio de Janeiro.

Sérgio's face was used in Guerrero's facial recognition process to open the account, and the Authorities are investigating the participation of a private bank employee. The photos of both were not compared in 2022.

Phases of the coup

The first phase of the coup targeted only Brazilian athletes. According to the police, a member of this gang, José Orlando de Almeida, already carried out the scam between 2014 and 2017. Elano, Maikon Leite and dozens of other athletes were affected.

Marcelo Silva, ex-Santos, is investigated as a facilitator of deviations in this 1st phase. His involvement in the case was not specified.

The second wave of scams only targets foreign players, but many did not register an incident. Cueva had a loss of R$318 thousand, while Joao Rojas lost R$585 thousand. Rojas' FGTS was withdrawn on March 9, 2022 and he has not yet been able to get the money back.

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