Influencer accused of embezzling more than R$146 million on Pix is extradited to Brazil
The case
Spalone is the main target of an investigation by the Civil Police of the State of São Paulo against a group suspected of embezzling R$146 million through fraud on Pix. He owns Dubai Cash and Next Trading Dubai, fintechs focused on payments and investment operations.
On social media, Dubai Cash claims to have handled more than R$2 billion in transactions via Pix, and Next presents itself as a financial services company on a global scale. The influencer has two properties: one in São Paulo and the other in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. In addition to Spalone, two other men are also investigated. They would have profited almost R$75,000 from the criminal scheme. Their defense was not located.
The Civil Police found that the scheme used several accounts maintained at a banking institution to receive the amounts. The investigations also showed that the scammers used Pix as a means of transfer. According to the investigation, criminals also used the credentials of a service provider to embezzle funds from the bank in February this year.
On September 23, the 1st Precinct of the Cybercrime Division, linked to the State Department of Criminal Investigations (Deic) of the Civil Police, launched Operation Dubai, which aimed to execute preventive arrest warrants against Spalone and the two men. One of them was located in the capital of São Paulo and another in Campinas, in the interior of São Paulo, but Spalone was not found.
His name was included in the Interpol Red Diffusion and the searches mobilized Civil Police agents and authorities from Argentina, Panama, Paraguay and the United States. He was arrested at a Buenos Aires airport on September 27 after disembarking a flight from Panama.
