Brazil cellphone theft becomes a central issue in presidential runoff
Phone theft remains widespread in Brazil and is shaping the security debate before the presidential runoff.
Brazil cellphone theft becomes a central issue in presidential runoff
Cellphone theft has become an election issue in Brazil even as reported thefts have declined since 2023. Reuters, citing the Brazilian Public Security Forum, reported roughly 830,000 registered thefts last year.
The issue gained attention after content creator Tabata Lenk’s dashcam video showed motorcycle attackers smashing her car window in São Paulo. Lenk said thieves later used the stolen device to take 2,000 reais from her bank account through Pix, showing why a stolen phone is also a digital-finance risk.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and challenger Flavio Bolsonaro have both emphasized tougher action. Lula signed a law raising penalties for stolen electronics to as much as 10 years and launched a device-reporting platform. Bolsonaro has proposed a minimum eight-year sentence.
Reuters cited research putting a new iPhone 17 Pro at about $2,260 in Brazil, versus $1,181 in the United States. Fraud involving stolen devices more than quadrupled from 2024 to 2025, and São Paulo accounted for 268,184 thefts last year.
Image: Reuters Connect.
Sources
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