Brazilian authorities investigate alleged money laundering scheme tied to benefit payments and gambling
The Federal Police is investigating a possible fraud involving betting sites using the unique identification numbers (CPFs) of individuals who receive financial assistance through Brazil’s Bolsa Família program. The information was shared by the Minister of Development and Social Assistance, Family, and Hunger Combat, Wellington Dias, during the “Bom Dia, Ministro” program broadcast by Canal Gov, the Brazilian Communication Company.
According to the minister, the investigations began after the Central Bank (BC) released a technical analysis last year, indicating that about 5 million people from families benefiting from the Bolsa Família program transferred R$ 3 billion to betting companies through Pix transfers.
“When the Central Bank disclosed the volume they found, I became suspicious because it did not match the data cross-checked with our monitoring system of Bolsa Família. I requested an investigation by the Federal Police. If there is a volume of money that does not match those who are using the Bolsa Família card, then someone may be using another person’s CPF without their knowledge. This is ongoing,” he explained.
“Today, there is already evidence that people often launder money using another person’s CPF without them even knowing, as the volume of transactions was not reasonable. The person would say, ‘God forbid I have that much money.’ In other words, they did not even desire to have such an amount. Therefore, it is clear that the investigations will continue, and we will take action. Our priority is to ensure rights for those entitled to them. We want to reach out to all those who are still in need, but we also need to ensure that the law is upheld. Wherever there is fraud or any crime, we will act, and we will act firmly. We need to be careful not to create prejudice against this population, which already suffers from numerous biases,” the minister explained.
Wellington Dias also stated that the number of Bolsa Família beneficiaries who participate in betting is small compared to the total number of Brazilians who admit to gambling.
“When the Central Bank report was released, I immediately sought out the leadership and the people who conducted the research. We crossed data. Brazil is facing a dramatic problem; I need to emphasize that. We are talking about approximately 52% of the population that gambles. And when we look at the Bolsa Família beneficiaries who used the card, it amounts to just 3.4%. So, there is a significant gap here,” the minister said.
