Brazil is one of the countries in South America, where there are the most crypto enthusiasts. It is estimated that 5% of the population uses digital assets. Several initiatives are implemented in the country to encourage their adoption. It’s a crypto-friendly environment, but unfortunately also leaves room for scams to develop. various.
Second crypto scandal in a year
Last weekend, Brazilian police arrested businessman Francisco Valdevino da Silva, aka Bitcoin Cheikh. The man who was arrested at the same time as several of his associates, is at the head of a vast crypto Ponzi network. In total, authorities have seized several million dollars worth of crypto, cars and luxury watches from the homes of the suspects. There are also several kilos of gold bars in the lot of seized objects.
The investigation, called ‘Operation Poyais’, determined that the crooks have bleached for more than 766 million dollars of cryptos over the past few years. The police searched several properties in several cities of the country to establish this balance sheet.
She explained in a statement that the group defrauded thousands of people. Among these, there are Brazilians, but also nationals of several other countries in the world, specifies GloboNews. There are also celebrities like model Sasha Meneghel, who claimed damages of $230,000. The local press informs us that prominent footballers are also believed to be among the victims of this crypto Ponzi.
For information, the platform led by Bitcoin Cheikh promised up to 20% return to investorss. Criminals lured their victims by assuring them that they were working with experienced traders who could make big profits. Valdevino da Silva and his associates have also created their own tokens.
This operation recalls the arrest, in 2021, of Glaidson Acácio dos Santos, nicknamed the Pharaoh of bitcoin. He was one of the managers of a crypto Ponzi scheme, which promised huge returns to its investors. In all, the authorities have identified more than 122,000 victims in Brazil. Recently, the local justice ordered dos Santos to reimburse all defrauded investors and creditors. A reimbursement which should reach 3.7 billion dollars. Will this decision set precedent in the Bitcoin Cheick case?
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