The Judiciary Police has alerted the public to a new rental scam that uses a photo of Carlos Cabreiro, the national director of the Judiciary Police, to appear legitimate. According to a social media publication from the Judiciary Police, the fraud begins with contact on Facebook and then moves to WhatsApp once the target shows interest. The scammers then push for an early money transfer, claiming it is needed to secure the lease. Officials say the messages often contain spelling and grammar errors, inconsistent text and audio, and unusual names for transfer recipients. They also noted the use of poorly edited images with low graphic quality, including misuse of the Finance logo. The Judiciary Police emphasized that it does not use this kind of procedure and never authorises the image of its director for such contacts. It urged the public to be extremely cautious, as the strong demand for rental properties is being exploited by scam networks.
