Brazilian woman, 38, accused of years of ‘elaborate fraud’ by posing as a child

Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira faces fraud charges after allegedly persuading family to take her into their home

A 38-year-old woman has been arrested in Brazil accused of pretending to be a 12-year-old girl to deceive a couple who took her into their home for more than a year.

Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira was charged in the southern state of Santa Catarina with fraud and false identity offences.

During the nearly 16 months she lived with the couple in the city of Joinville, she reportedly had all her expenses paid, a bedroom decorated with toys and children’s furnishings, and a party to celebrate her purported 12th birthday.

The case has been widely reported in local media, prompting disbelief that Oliveira allegedly managed to sustain the deception for so long.

After she was arrested just over a week ago, it emerged that Oliveira had previously been charged in several other Brazilian states for allegedly carrying out similar schemes.

The public prosecutor Viviane Soares said the investigation had uncovered “an elaborate fraud scheme involving the creation of a fictitious identity and the emotional manipulation of victims in order to obtain undue advantages”.

The couple told police Oliveira first approached them at an evangelical church they attended, introducing herself as “Gabrielle” and claiming to be 18 years old. She reportedly said she was experiencing financial and health difficulties, prompting the couple to take her in.