Fraud and disbelief: how a dead man was brought into a bank for a loan

A chilling story involved a woman who took a dead man to the bank, hoping to obtain a loan. However, the employees noticed his condition and contacted the police

In an episode that has stirred shock and disbelief worldwide, a Brazilian woman‘s desperate attempt to secure a loan is anything but humorous. The woman, identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes, went to the lengths of bringing a deceased man into a bank to apply for a loan of approximately $3,200.

A brief act

The charade did not last long as 42-year-old Vieira Nunes was arrested and charged with desecration of a corpse and attempted fraud. She attempted to secure the loan under the name of the deceased, Paulo Roberto Braga, a 68-year-old man, claiming he was her uncle.

The incident unfolds

The incident occurred on April 16 at an Itau Unibanco branch in Bangu, Rio de Janeiro. Vieira Nunes, posing as Braga’s niece and primary caregiver, wheeled him into the bank on a wheelchair.

Signs of life absent

Bank employees quickly sensed something was amiss when they noticed the man showed no signs of life, prompting Vieira Nunes to physically support his head. Despite her insistence that he was just a “quiet” person by nature, the bank staff grew suspicious. Their doubts led them to call emergency services and the police.

In a viral video (which we have chosen not to show due to its graphic content), Vieira Nunes is seen urging the so-called uncle to sign a document, asserting, “if you don’t sign, there’s no way.” Bank staff repeatedly noted that the man did not seem well, to which Vieira Nunes responded that he was just a bit quiet. Eventually, it was revealed that his quietness was due to the fact he had been deceased for several hours.

Legal defense and police opinion

While Vieira Nunes’ lawyer claimed that Braga was alive upon arriving at the bank and died during the loan approval process, police believe she was aware of his death, further noting he was likely not her uncle but perhaps a distant relative. The intent, they argue, was to defraud the bank.