Brazil police bust illegal betting scheme posing as mental health company

Brazilian police have uncovered an alleged illegal betting operation that used a company registered as a mental health services provider to run gambling platforms and facilitate financial fraud. 

According to an 825-page police report, investigators identified Mktesal.com and Mktesal.vip as betting websites allegedly operated through a shell company called Projeto Amor e Empatia Ltda. 

The company declared activities involving psychosocial assistance and healthcare services for people with mental disorders, intellectual disabilities and chemical dependencies. 

The findings emerged from Operation Azzardo, launched by the Civil Police of the Federal District on November 5. 

Investigators allege that the operations also used shell companies to conceal betting transactions and circumvent oversight: Projeto Intermediação Ltda, alongside Projeto Amor e Empatia, whose primary registered business activity is listed as psychosocial and health assistance for people with mental disorders, intellectual disabilities, and chemical dependency, alongside promotional and marketing services 

The report does not detail the second company’s ownership or its declared business activities. 

The investigation also identified complaints from users who said they suffered financial losses connected to the businesses.  

One alleged victim reported that money was transferred directly from their bank account to Projeto Intermediação. Another described multiple Pix transactions involving Amor e Empatia after using the betting platform.  

A separate complaint alleged that a BR3,000 ($530) betting win was subsequently removed from the user’s bank account. 

Other complaints concerned alleged fraudulent sales and concert ticket purchases, with customers saying they never received what they paid for. 

Recently, two of Brazil’s (real) pediatric bodies have sent a document to the Supreme Federal Court requesting that the restriction on betting be maintained.