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NOPE
Medium reported severity Investigation Opened

Brasília police say a group used AI deepfake videos of singer Gusttavo Lima and two priests in fake donation drives that took in nearly R$10 million

The Federal District Civil Police (PCDF) in Brazil say a criminal group ran fake online donation campaigns that used images of elderly people, children and seriously ill people, and used artificial intelligence tools, including deepfakes, to make fake videos with the images of the singer Gusttavo Lima and the Catholic priests Marcelo Rossi and Fábio de Melo. The posts circulated on social media and sent people to pages imitating legitimate charity appeals; the money went to bank accounts the group controlled. Police say one company linked to the group received 215,575 transactions totalling about R$9.8 million between 13 October and 26 November 2025, mostly of R$30 and R$50, and that the number of transactions does not necessarily match the number of victims. On 28 October 2026 the PCDF launched Operação Cáritas with six preventive arrest warrants and search warrants in the Federal District and four states; five suspects had been arrested by the time of most reports (g1 reported six). How the police established that the videos were AI-made is not disclosed, and no response from the people depicted is reported.

AI system
Unidentified video tool
Occurred
13 Oct 2025 to 26 Nov 2025
Reported
28 October 2026
Event location
Brazil
What the AI did
Depicted or impersonated the person
Reported harm
Financial Loss
Whose AI use
Someone else’s AI use
Setting
Finance · Everyday life
Evidence
AI involvement reported · Causal attribution supported · 4 sources, 1 underlying account
6 claims: 6 reported. 4 open questions
People reported harmed
Not reliably quantifiable from the sources

AI system as recorded: Artificial intelligence tools, not named, including deepfake technology, that the Federal District Civil Police say the group used to make fake videos with the images of a singer and two priests for fake donation campaigns

What Happened

The campaigns. According to the Federal District Civil Police (PCDF), as relayed by CNN Brasil, Jornal de Brasília, g1 DF and SouBrasília, the group created and spread fake donation pages that used images of elderly people, children and people with serious illnesses to move people to transfer money. To widen the reach of the campaigns, the police say, the suspects used artificial intelligence tools, including deepfakes, to make fake videos with the images of the singer Gusttavo Lima and the priests Marcelo Rossi and Fábio de Melo; some posts also used religious images, including of Jesus Christ. g1 reports that the suspects also used AI to make videos of fake elderly people, children and seriously ill people, and that a video released by the police shows an image of a third priest. The posts circulated on social media and led users to pages imitating legitimate charity appeals; the money went to bank accounts the group controlled.

The money. Police say one company linked to the group received 215,575 transactions totalling R$9,839,087.73 between 13 October and 26 November 2025, mostly of R$30 and R$50. The police say the pattern suggests a large number of victims in different regions of the country, but that the number of transactions does not necessarily match the number of people affected. Investigators also found more than 230 GB of files, including videos, images, scripts, programming code and databases, and material for new fraudulent campaigns.

The operation. On 28 October 2026 the PCDF launched Operação Cáritas. A court issued six preventive arrest warrants, search warrants in the Federal District and four states, and asset freezes. Five suspects were arrested by the time of most reports (g1 reported six); luxury vehicles were seized and cryptocurrency worth about US$400,000 was identified. The police did not release the suspects' names.

What is not known. Which AI tools were used and how the police established that the videos were AI-made; how many people donated because of the AI-made videos rather than the other material; whether the people depicted have responded; and what charges will follow.

Reported harm

Police say people who saw fake charity appeals promoted with AI-made videos of a singer and two priests sent donations to accounts the group controlled; one linked company received about R$9.8 million in 215,575 transactions in October and November 2025.

How Harm Occurred

Police say the group used AI-made deepfake videos of a well-known singer and two priests to lend credibility to fake charity appeals on social media, leading people to send small Pix donations to accounts the group controlled.

Outcome

Ongoing

On 28 October 2026 the Federal District Civil Police launched Operação Cáritas: a court issued six preventive arrest warrants, search warrants in the Federal District, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and São Paulo, and orders freezing assets. Five suspects had been arrested by the time of the CNN Brasil and Jornal de Brasília reports (g1 reported six), luxury vehicles were seized and cryptocurrency worth about US$400,000 was identified. Police say the suspects may answer for electronic fraud, criminal organisation and money laundering; no charge had been reported by 2026-10-29.

What remains unknown

  • Which AI tools were used and how the police established that the videos were AI-made.
  • How many people donated, and how many did so because of the AI-made videos of public figures rather than the other material on the pages.
  • Whether the singer or the priests depicted have responded to the use of their images.
  • The full period of the campaigns beyond the 13 October to 26 November 2025 window traced for one company, and what charges will follow.

What the evidence supports

AI involvement: reported. According to the Federal District Civil Police, whose release CNN Brasil, Jornal de Brasília, g1 DF and SouBrasília relay, the investigation found that the group used artificial intelligence tools, including deepfakes, to make fake videos with the images of a singer and two priests, and that these videos were used to attract donors to fake charity pages. This is an attribution of this scheme by the investigating police, which also report seizing more than 230 GB of the group's videos, images, scripts and code; how the police established that the videos were AI-made is not disclosed. People deceived by the generated videos of public figures were impersonated toward them (depicted_or_impersonated).

6 claims: 6 reported. What the statuses mean

Reported According to the police, the group created and spread fake donation pages and, to attract donors, used artificial intelligence tools including deepfakes to make fake videos with the images of the singer Gusttavo Lima and the priests Marcelo Rossi and Fábio de Melo; the posts circulated on social media and led users to pages imitating legitimate charity appeals, and the money went to accounts the group controlled.

Causal attribution. Police account relayed by the outlets; all sources relay one police release, and the technical basis for the AI attribution is not disclosed.

  • cnnbrasil.com.br(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'Segundo a Polícia Civil, o grupo criava e divulgava páginas falsas de arrecadação de doações' ... 'Para ampliar o alcance das campanhas e atrair mais pessoas, os investigados recorriam a ferramentas de inteligência artificial, incluindo as chamadas' ... 'para criar vídeos falsos com imagens de personalidades públicas, como Gusttavo Lima e os padres Marcelo Rossi e Fábio de Melo.' ... 'As publicações circulavam nas redes sociais e direcionavam os usuários a páginas que simulavam campanhas beneficentes legítimas. Os valores arrecadados, porém, eram transferidos para contas bancárias controladas pelo grupo.'
  • jornaldebrasilia.com.br(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'Para dar credibilidade às campanhas, os suspeitos também recorriam a ferramentas de inteligência artificial, incluindo a tecnologia deepfake, para produzir vídeos falsos com imagens de personalidades como o cantor Gusttavo Lima e os padres Marcelo Rossi e Fábio de Melo.'
Reported g1 reports that the suspects also used artificial intelligence to make videos of fake elderly people, children and seriously ill people to move victims to donate.

Causal attribution. g1's account of the police investigation; the other reports describe these as images used on the pages without saying they were AI-made.

  • g1.globo.com(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'Os investigados usavam inteligência artificial para criar vídeos de falsos idosos, crianças e pessoas com doenças graves para sensibilizar e induzir as vítimas a fazerem doações.'
Reported Police say one company linked to the group received 215,575 transactions totalling R$9,839,087.73 between 13 October and 26 November 2025, mostly of R$30 and R$50, and that the number of transactions does not necessarily match the number of victims.

Causal attribution. Police financial findings relayed by the outlets.

  • jornaldebrasilia.com.br(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'Entre 13 de outubro e 26 de novembro de 2025, a companhia recebeu 215.575 transações, que somaram R$ 9.839.087,73. A maioria dos pagamentos envolvia quantias relativamente baixas, especialmente R$ 30 e R$ 50.'
  • cnnbrasil.com.br(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'O padrão aplicado pelo grupo sugere um número expressivo de vítimas em diferentes regiões do país, ainda que a soma de transações não corresponda necessariamente ao número de pessoas afetadas.'
  • soubrasilia.com(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'A PCDF ressalva que não dá para ligar esse total a um número exato de vítimas.'
Reported On 28 October 2026 the Federal District Civil Police launched an operation with six preventive arrest warrants, search warrants in the Federal District and four states, and asset freezes; five suspects had been arrested by the time of the CNN Brasil report, while g1 reported six arrests.

Causal attribution. Procedural facts reported from the police; the arrest count differs between reports.

  • cnnbrasil.com.br(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'A ação cumpre seis mandados de prisão preventiva, além de mandados de busca e apreensão no Distrito Federal e nos estados de Goiás, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina e São Paulo. A Justiça também determinou o bloqueio de ativos financeiros e patrimoniais. Até o momento, cinco investigados foram presos.'
  • g1.globo.com(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'Os agentes prenderam seis pessoas: duas em Planaltina, no Distrito Federal; uma em Planaltina de Goiás, uma em Uberlândia, Minas Gerais; e uma em Joinville, em Santa Catarina.'
Reported Investigators found more than 230 GB of files in the group's accounts, including videos, images, scripts, programming code, databases and material for new fraudulent campaigns.

Causal attribution. Police finding relayed by CNN Brasil.

  • cnnbrasil.com.br(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'A análise de contas eletrônicas também revelou mais de 230 GB de arquivos, incluindo vídeos, imagens, roteiros, códigos de programação, bancos de dados e materiais destinados à produção de novas campanhas fraudulentas.'
Reported Police say the suspects may answer for electronic fraud, criminal organisation and money laundering; the police did not release the names of those arrested and describe the singer and the priests as images used in the fake videos, not as participants.

Causal attribution. Police statements relayed by the outlets.

  • cnnbrasil.com.br(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'Os investigados poderão responder por estelionato eletrônico, organização criminosa e lavagem de dinheiro, entre outros crimes que venham a ser identificados no decorrer da apuração.'
  • soubrasilia.com(opens in new tab) supports · Portuguese
    'A PCDF não divulgou os nomes dos presos, e a defesa não foi localizada. A polícia descreve o cantor e os padres como imagens usadas nos vídeos falsos, não como participantes.'

Sources

4 sources inspected, from 1 underlying account. Sources that repeat one account do not corroborate each other.

How the sources were read, and where the events happened

Read in Portuguese by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-29 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. CNN Brasil report, read in full; it relays the PCDF operation release. Applies to s1.

Read in Portuguese by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-29 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. Jornal de Brasília report, read in full; it relays the same PCDF release (photo credited PCDF). Applies to s2.

Read in Portuguese by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-29 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. g1 DF report, read in full; it relays the police account and a police video; it gives six arrests where the other reports give five. Applies to s3.

Read in Portuguese by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-29 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. SouBrasília explainer, read in full; it relays the PCDF release and states the police caveat on victim numbers. Applies to s4.

Event countries: Brazil. Affected-person countries: Brazil. Court countries: Brazil.

The police operation ran in the Federal District, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and São Paulo, and the police say the victims were in different regions of the country; the warrants were issued by a Brazilian court.

Reviewed for publication 2026-10-29: Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated): the investigating Federal District Civil Police say the group used AI tools, including deepfakes, to make fake videos with the images of a singer and two priests to draw donors to fake charity pages, and that the group took in about R$9.8 million through one company in late 2025. The police's technical basis is not disclosed. All four sources relay one police release, so every claim is reported. No private person is named.

People described

People in Brazil who donated to fake online charity campaigns promoted with AI-made videos of public figures

People reported harmed in this case

Not reliably quantifiable from the sources

Unquantified. The police describe victims who were induced to transfer money and say the transaction pattern suggests many victims, but they state that the 215,575 transactions do not necessarily correspond to the number of people affected, and no count of people is given. The 66 police reports in the Federal District concern companies receiving money from various electronic frauds and are not counted. The singer and priests depicted are not counted because no response or consequence is reported for them.

Counted once within this case. The same person may appear in other cases. This count does not establish AI causation.

Tags

#deepfake#donation-scam#fraud#police-investigation#public-figures#brazil

Cite this case

Compiled per our published methodology: verification statuses, sourcing standards, and corrections process.

APA

NOPE. (2026). Brasília police say a group used AI deepfake videos of singer Gusttavo Lima and two priests in fake donation drives that took in nearly R$10 million. AI incidents. https://nope.net/incidents/2025-brazil-police-say-fake-online-donation-campaigns-used-ai-deepfake-videos-of-a-singer-and-two-priests

BibTeX

@misc{2025_brazil_police_say_fake_online_donation_campaigns_used_ai_deepfake_videos_of_a_singer_and_two_priests,
  title = {Brasília police say a group used AI deepfake videos of singer Gusttavo Lima and two priests in fake donation drives that took in nearly R\$10 million},
  author = {NOPE},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {AI incidents},
  url = {https://nope.net/incidents/2025-brazil-police-say-fake-online-donation-campaigns-used-ai-deepfake-videos-of-a-singer-and-two-priests}
}

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