A woman has been detained by the police in Cubatão, São Paulo, on suspicion of scamming residents by posing as an employee of the Companhia de Desenvolvimento Habitacional e Urbano (CDHU). She reportedly duped individuals into believing that she could offer them apartments from an auction, collecting around R$ 30,000 in total. Following her arrest, she was released, but the investigation continues as more victims come forward.

Letícia Belo, one of the victims, described to the media how the suspect promised apartments in the regions of Bolsão and Rubens Lara, claiming they were available through a public auction. When Belo filed a police report, she found that the suspect had previous allegations against her for similar scams. The local police have noted that the woman requested copies of personal documents under the pretense of registering victims for a housing program and demanded payments via the Pix instant payment system, assuring victims that this was needed to secure the deals.

Authorities emphasize that the CDHU does not charge any advance fees for its services and that any requests for payment in its name are criminal acts. The police have urged any other potential victims to come forward as investigations are underway to understand the full extent of the scam and the suspect's criminal activities in the area, which might reveal a larger network of fraudulent behavior.