The fake lawyer scam: court release order, Pix and the hijacking of case funds
The scam behind 3,977 complaints to OAB/SP in 7 months of 2025 — 76% of victims lost money.
Audience: Professionals and Personal Brands · Risk level: CRITICAL
Blindfy Intelligence Unit · Technical review by Blindfy
Scenario
The client gets a WhatsApp message with their lawyer's photo and name saying the release order for case XXXX-YY has been issued and that a R$ 1,800 "release fee" must be paid via Pix to receive the funds. The client pays. There was no release order.
How the scam works
Criminals sweep public court records (PJe/eSAJ/DataJud), extract the party's name, partial CPF, case value and the lawyer's name. They build a WhatsApp clone with the real lawyer's name, photo and OAB number (taken from the bar chapter's website) and approach the party with a narrative specific to their case.
Common mistake
Believing public case data (name+CPF+OAB+value) is confidential. It is not. The criminal didn't hack anything — they read what is open.
Impact
The client loses money believing it was the lawyer. The real lawyer is sued for moral damages or faces ethics proceedings. The scammer's bank is held jointly liable. A 2026 São Paulo court case: WhatsApp ordered to pay R$ 4,000 jointly for omission (Brazilian Supreme Court Topic 987).
What works
Continuous monitoring of the lawyer's name+OAB number across WhatsApp Business / Telegram / Instagram. Preventive client communication at the start of the case: "any charge comes FROM MY NUMBER, verifiable on ConfirmADV". Immediate takedown of clone profiles based on Supreme Court Topic 987 (providers must retain data for 6 months + joint liability).
Protection checklist
- Register your official profile on ConfirmADV (OAB)
- Send the client your official number and an anti-scam notice at the start of the case
- Monitor use of your OAB number on networks 24/7
- Initiate immediate takedown of WhatsApp/Instagram clones
- Report to your chapter via fiscalizacao.oab.org.br
- Document with screenshots + police report to hold the platform liable
- Keep a standard footer in every communication: "payments only through official channels"
Editorial sources
- Banco Central do Brasil — Orientações oficiais sobre golpes e Pix
- OAB Nacional — ConfirmADV e prevenção ao golpe do falso advogado
- CERT.br / NIC.br — Cartilha de Segurança para Internet
The scam isn't technical. It's social. So must be your defense — before the crime, not after.
