Operation “Don’t be an orange 2” investigates a group that enticed people to lend bank accounts for fraudulent operations.| Photo: publicity/PF

On the morning of Tuesday (30), the Federal Police carried out 51 search and seizure warrants against a group that defrauded bank operations through the accounts of individuals who gave their names to receive funds for scams and fraud.

Operation “Don’t be an Orange 2” was launched in 17 states and the Federal District with the support of the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban).

According to the authority, this Tuesday’s operation (30) is part of the Tentacles Project, which has as one of its main pillars a Technical Cooperation Agreement between the Federal Police and Febraban, in force since October 2017 in a public/private cooperation in combating electronic banking fraud.

The Federal Police claims to have detected, in recent years, a considerable increase in the conscious participation of individuals in criminal schemes, for which they “lend” their bank accounts, against payment.

Penalties can reach eight years in prison and fines, and even worse if the crimes are committed using a server kept outside Brazil, or even if the victim is an elderly or vulnerable person, says the PF.