A 37-year-old Brazilian woman who allegedly spent more than 15 years posing as a child is facing fraud and identity theft charges after investigators uncovered a series of identities she reportedly used to gain shelter, care and attention.
Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira is accused of presenting herself as a vulnerable child in different parts of Brazil. She has acknowledged pretending to be a child, but her lawyers deny that she committed fraud. The case has attracted widespread attention across the country.
She allegedly posed as a 12-year-old
Police in Santa Catarina said Oliveira lived with a middle-aged couple in Joinville for 14 months after claiming she was a 12-year-old runaway fleeing abuse.
She reportedly used a high-pitched, childlike voice and asked the couple for food, clothing and accommodation. When police arrived to arrest her, investigators said she dropped the childlike manner and spoke in an adult voice.
Police arrested her in June. A court ordered a mental health evaluation and found her competent to stand trial.
Multiple identities raised suspicion
Investigators said Oliveira had previously appeared under different names and stories.
In 2020, she reportedly approached a children’s shelter as a 12-year-old named Julia, claiming abuse by her father. A medical examination later established that she was an adult.
In 2021, she allegedly presented herself online as Emily, a 12-year-old with leukemia. Members of an online prayer group reportedly supported her for months before discovering inconsistencies in her story.
In 2023, she allegedly appeared as Duda, claiming to have autism and to be escaping abuse. Investigators later found searches on her phone relating to autism and portraying abuse victims.
Defence says she sought care, not money
Oliveira’s lawyers say she invented identities as a way of surviving and deny that she obtained financial benefits from alleged victims in the Santa Catarina case.
According to court filings cited by The Washington Post, Oliveira told investigators that she wanted the affection, protection and attention she felt she had missed during childhood.
Her lawyers have also cited psychological difficulties, while court-appointed evaluators concluded that she understood her actions and was competent to face trial.
The case has drawn enormous public attention in Brazil, with the story reportedly generating 194 million views on Instagram alone.