Brazil Probes 38.5M Transactions in Suspected Betting Fraud

The operation, named Disque 151, followed an investigation that began in 2024. Officers from São Paulo’s State Department of Criminal Investigations (Deic) carried out three arrest warrants and six search warrants in São Paulo city and Mogi das Cruzes, according to the state government’s account.

Two Pool Accounts Between Players and Recipients

Police reviewed more than 38.5 million financial operations, according to Agência Brasil, and traced betting deposits to accounts used to pool payments from different sources. Investigators say the money then passed into a second pooled account before being spread across accounts held by individuals and businesses.

Fernando David de Melo Gonçalves, the officer leading the financial fraud investigation, described two such accounts and said the inquiry sought to identify people who allegedly benefited from the arrangement without appearing as owners.

UOL reported that the day’s collected funds were moved to the second pool in one transfer, before being distributed further. The reporting identifies a sequence of payment accounts; neither the banks holding those accounts nor any payment processors were identified in the report.

Six-Month Flow and the Court’s R$154M Limit

According to investigators, the suspected group moved more than R$14 million (approximately $2.8 million) in a six-month period. A court separately authorized the freezing of assets and funds of up to R$154 million (about $30.7 million).

The conversions use the PTAX USD selling rate of R$5.0096 per dollar for October 13, 2026, published by the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB).

The freeze ceiling is 11 times the R$14 million benchmark. But the reported six-month amount was more than R$14 million, so the actual multiple would be lower. The two figures also measure different things: one concerns suspected financial activity, the other is a legal limit on assets that may be restricted.

No confirmed value of assets actually frozen or returned to players was given in the initial announcement.

Complaints Over Unpaid Prizes Reached Procon-SP

Procon-SP received complaints from players who said the platforms had not paid their prizes. The consumer agency’s helpline is 151, the number used for the police operation’s name.

São Paulo prosecutors’ economic crimes unit, Gedec, joined the investigation. The review also involved access to banking, tax and telecommunications records. The inquiry remains open, with officers looking for further potential victims and other people possibly linked to the scheme.