Brazil: “The Phantom Striker” Takes Down Gang That Defrauded Football Players
Brazilian police carried out a large-scale security operation named “The Phantom Striker,” successfully dismantling a professional fraud gang that targeted the salaries of several professional football players.
The gang used forged documents to open bank accounts in the names of the victim players, then contacted clubs to request the transfer of monthly salaries to these fake accounts. The total amount seized by the gang was estimated at around €150,000.
The players became suspicious of the unusual transfers, prompting them to report the issue and open an official investigation. This quickly developed into a coordinated operation among security forces across four states, involving more than 100 security personnel.
The operation resulted in the arrest of gang members and the recovery of a significant portion of the stolen funds, concluding one of the strangest and boldest fraud schemes in the history of Brazilian football.
