# Fake lawyer scam: how it works and what to do · Bipe Someone poses as your lawyer and says the case was won. To release the money, they ask for costs or a fee up front. The case details are real, taken from public records. **The fake lawyer scam: "your case was won, there is just a fee"** Also called: fake lawyer scam, won case scam. ## The numbers - **4,388** reports of the fake lawyer scam to the São Paulo bar association, in a little over a year and a half (to Feb 2026. Source: [OAB São Paulo](https://www.oabsp.org.br/jornaldaadvocacia/26-02-06-1718-golpe-do-falso-advogado-ja-soma-4388-denuncias-e-acende-alerta-em-todo-o-pais)) ## How it works 1. The scammer takes the case number, names and amounts from public court systems. 2. They write with your lawyer's or the office's photo and name, saying the case was won. 3. They ask for a Pix for costs, tax or a fee to release the money, to someone else's account. ## How to spot it - They ask for money before you receive what you won. - The contact comes from a number that is not your lawyer's. - There is a rush: the release order expires today, the judge demands it now. ## What to do - Call your lawyer on the number you already had. - Check the lawyer on ConfirmADV, the bar association's lookup. - Already paid? Talk to your bank, ask for MED and file a police report. ## How Bipe helps Each item shows where it stands on iPhone and Android. - [Business seal](https://bipe.chat/en/features/business-seal/) (iPhone: Coming soon; Android: Coming soon): A company, school or association proves its CNPJ and gets a seal with the name on the federal register. - [Verified seal](https://bipe.chat/en/features/verified-seal/) (iPhone: Coming soon; Android: Coming soon): A seal with a name verified through Pix or gov.br, so you know who is on the other side. - [Scam warnings](https://bipe.chat/en/features/scam-warnings/) (iPhone: In the test app; Android: In development): A warning shows under a message that looks like a scam, such as a rushed Pix, a new number or a boleto. It is on by default, with nothing to set up. - [A pause before paying](https://bipe.chat/en/features/pause-before-paying/) (iPhone: Coming soon; Android: Coming soon): On a suspicious money request, copy and pay stay locked for 5 seconds, to break the scam's rush. **What Bipe does not solve here:** The scammer uses real data from public cases. Bipe does not check that data and does not know who your lawyer is. Bipe only protects the chats that happen in Bipe. If someone in the family still uses another app, a scammer can write to them there. ## Who describes this scam - [OAB lança campanha nacional e plataforma de verificação contra 'golpe do falso advogado'](https://www.oab.org.br/noticia/63063/oab-lanca-campanha-nacional-e-plataforma-de-verificacao-contra-golpe-do-falso-advogado) (Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil) - [Glossário de Tipologias de Fraudes e Golpes Digitais](https://www.gov.br/mj/pt-br/assuntos/alianca-nacional-de-combate-a-fraudes-bancarias-digitais/glossario_final_iniciativa_1-8_v10.pdf) (Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública e Febraban (Aliança Nacional de Combate a Fraudes Bancárias Digitais)) - [Golpe do falso advogado](https://portal.febraban.org.br/DetalheAntifraude/19/pt-br/) (Febraban) ## Other common scams - [Fake relative](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-relative-scam/) - [Taken number or account](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/cloned-number-scam/) - [Fake bank call centre](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-bank-call-scam/) - [Pix and fake boleto](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/pix-scam/) - [Fake shop](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-shop-scam/) - [Threats with your data](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/threat-scam/) - [Fake acquaintance](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-acquaintance-scam/) - ["I sent you a code by mistake"](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/code-by-mistake-scam/) - [Romance scam](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/romance-scam/) - [Fake government body](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-government-scam/) - [Fake delivery fee](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-delivery-fee-scam/) - [Fake job and task scam](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/task-job-scam/) - [Fake support](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-support-scam/) - [Fake second-hand sale](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-seller-scam/) - [Fake buyer and fake receipt](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-receipt-scam/) - [Fake rental](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-rental-scam/) - [Wrong Pix](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/wrong-pix-scam/) - [Fake boleto](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-boleto-scam/) - [Fake loan](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-loan-scam/) - [Fake investment](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-investment-scam/) - [Betting and "tigrinho"](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/betting-scam/) - [Fake link](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-link-scam/) - [Phantom hand and fake app](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/remote-access-scam/) - [SIM swap](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/sim-swap-scam/) - [Fake kidnapping](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-kidnapping-scam/) - [Sextortion](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/sextortion-scam/) - [Group chat scam](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/group-chat-scam/) - [Fake fundraiser](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-charity-scam/) - [Scams in Brazil in numbers](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/) ## Where these numbers come from Researched on 13 October 2026. We only use numbers that have a source. Surveys by a company or a private association are marked as such. - [Glossário de Tipologias de Fraudes e Golpes Digitais](https://www.gov.br/mj/pt-br/assuntos/alianca-nacional-de-combate-a-fraudes-bancarias-digitais/glossario_final_iniciativa_1-8_v10.pdf) (Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública e Febraban (Aliança Nacional de Combate a Fraudes Bancárias Digitais), 2025-10) - [Golpe do falso advogado](https://portal.febraban.org.br/DetalheAntifraude/19/pt-br/) (Febraban, 2026-10-13) - [OAB lança campanha nacional e plataforma de verificação contra 'golpe do falso advogado'](https://www.oab.org.br/noticia/63063/oab-lanca-campanha-nacional-e-plataforma-de-verificacao-contra-golpe-do-falso-advogado) (Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil, 2025-04-29) - [Golpe do falso advogado já soma 4.388 denúncias e acende alerta em todo o país](https://www.oabsp.org.br/jornaldaadvocacia/26-02-06-1718-golpe-do-falso-advogado-ja-soma-4388-denuncias-e-acende-alerta-em-todo-o-pais) (OAB São Paulo, 2026-02-06) ## Download - Install on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/k3ycEfzk (Test version, through Apple TestFlight.) - Download for Android: https://bipe.chat/baixar/android/bipe.apk (Test version. Download the file and open it on your phone. Android asks you to allow the install. Notifications do not work yet.) An experiment by Envisioning: https://envisioning.com ## Source code - iPhone app: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-ios - Android app: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-android - App rules and text: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-shared - Invites and @ directory: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-api - This site: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-web - Colours and styles: https://github.com/bipe-chat/compound-design-tokens - On-device scam model: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-ml - Business bridge and inbox: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-business