Scammers use the Caixa Tem application to remove FGTS from workers | National newspaper

The money went to pay for the cosmetic treatment of the teeth. But the teacher Carla Medeiros ran after her too late: “When I went to the bank on September 24, on September 23 they had already withdrawn that amount.”

He discovered that the R $ 1,045 was used to pay an account in Rio de Janeiro, the day that Carla was working in the city of Mateus Leme, Minas Gerais.

“I had the impression that they were watching those who did not withdraw that amount immediately. As it took me a long time to look, I think they took advantage of that period that I did not, it must have given the impression that I was not going to be able to retire, ”says Carla.

The scam uses the official Caixa Tem app to steal emergency money from the FGTS, deposited in active and inactive accounts, designed to help workers during the pandemic.

Since the app does not ask for identity verification, the scammers use a fake email and have access to the victims’ account. Caixa does not say how many complaints it has received, but the Federal Police is already investigating.

The easiest way to protect yourself is to get to the scammers, that is, the worker has to download the application, enter personal data, create a password, check the balance. And that is true even for those who do not intend to withdraw the emergency FGTS, because Caixa leaves everyone’s money available, for a time, to withdraw it in a digital account.

The money of the computer technician Gabriel Rocha da Silva Santos, resident of Grande BH, was withdrawn last month in Bahia: “Very annoying, because there is no way to stay, because it was a considerable loss, and today people think that it is bad to lose R $ 2, much less R $ 1045 ”.

He looked for the bank, was told to register a fact with the police, only then to ask to challenge the withdrawal. The first request was denied, but he appealed and, finally, Caixa recognized his right. “The Internet is also very widespread on people’s data, especially if they have had a process or some public record, you can get both their full name and CPF in minutes by searching the Internet,” he says.

Caixa reported that customers can challenge withdrawals at any time at the bank’s offices and that the beneficiary receives the money back when fraud is proven.