In a surreal turn of events reminiscent of Weekend At Bernie’s, a Brazilian woman entered a bank in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, accompanied by the body of an elderly man, purportedly to persuade him to co-sign a loan.
The woman, identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes, was captured on video standing beside the deceased man, who was slouched in a chair. The footage, initially aired by TV Globo, Brazil’s primary broadcaster, depicts Nunes addressing the deceased as her “uncle” and imploring him to sign financial documents required for a $3,400 loan.
“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf,” Nunes is heard saying in the video as she places a pen in his limp hand and prompts him to grasp it firmly.
“Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer,” she insists.
A woman in Brazil took a deceased man to the bank in an attempt to secure a loan 😳 pic.twitter.com/abiO2evgwg
— More Crazy Clips (@MoreCrazyClips) April 17, 2024
When a bank employee raises concerns about the man’s appearance and suggests he seems unwell, Nunes brushes off the remarks, insisting that he is fine. She even asks the deceased if he wants to go to the hospital again.
Disturbed by the situation, bank staff promptly alerted the police, leading to Nunes’ arrest.
Subsequent investigation revealed that the man, identified as 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga, had already been dead for several hours before being brought to the bank.
“She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” remarked Police Chief Fábio Luiz in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”
Officials stated they would investigate the circumstances of Braga’s passing and scrutinize Nunes’ connection to him, along with probing whether other family members were complicit in the alleged bank fraud scheme.
Nunes may potentially be charged with offenses such as fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.