Fake lawyer scam (lawsuit and court-payout)：手法、警示信号与应对

Social engineering · alto

Scammers look up public court data (case number, parties, lawyer's name) and message the victim on WhatsApp using the photo and name of the victim's real lawyer.

They bring good news — "you won the case", "your payout was released" — and say that to receive it, fees, taxes or expert costs must be paid first by Pix or boleto.

Sometimes they send documents with fake court seals and signatures, or bring a fake "court clerk" into the chat for credibility.

Sinais / Signs

Message from a new number claiming to be your lawyer.
News of a win combined with an upfront fee.
Payment to an individual or unknown company.
Urgency: "the money goes back to the court if you don't pay today".
Court documents sent via WhatsApp demanding money.

Prevenção / Prevention

Call your lawyer's office on the number you already know.
Check the case status on the court's official website.
Remember: court fees are paid via official court forms, not by Pix to individuals.
Agree with your lawyer on a channel and confirmation method for important messages.
Distrust any request to pay in order to release funds.

O que fazer / What to do

Call your bank right away using the official number (back of the card or in the app) and ask to block cards, accounts and access.
If you paid via Pix, ask your bank to open a MED (Special Return Mechanism) claim as soon as possible — time matters because funds move fast.
File a police report (many Brazilian states accept online reports) and keep screenshots, receipts, numbers and links.
Tell your real lawyer and the local bar association (OAB), which track this scam.
Report the profile, ad or number to the platform (WhatsApp — Report option) so it gets taken down and others are protected.

FAQ

My lawyer asked for a Pix to release my case payout. Is it a scam?

Very likely. Confirm by calling the office's known number and checking the case on the court's website.

How do scammers know about my case?

Much court data is public. They combine it with lawyers' names and photos available online.

CERT.br — Cartilha de Segurança para Internet · Consumidor.gov.br · FTC — ReportFraud