Video shows how 37-year-old woman pretended to be 12 and acted like a child The woman arrested for pretending to be a 12-year-old teenager and deceiving a family from Joinville (SC) celebrates her 38th birthday this Wednesday (10). Born in Ceará (CE), Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira was born on June 10, 1988 and faces legal charges for the crimes of embezzlement and false identity. For more than 15 years, she pretended to be a child and was taken in by strangers a few times, in different states. ✅ Click and follow the g1 SC channel on WhatsApp Court accepts complaint and makes defendant a woman who pretended to be 12 years old The hoaxes came to light at the beginning of this month, after the scammer was discovered by the couple who welcomed her for 14 months in their own home, in Santa Catarina. See the questions and answers about the scam below. Who is the arrested woman and where is she from? When and how was the hoax discovered? How did she manage to deceive her family in Joinville (SC)? What were the other cases that emerged after the arrest like? What did she gain during the coup in Santa Catarina? What crimes is she accused of? What happens now? 1 - Who is the arrested woman and where is she from? Identified as Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, the woman was born in Ceará and is imprisoned in the Joinville Women's Prison, in the North of Santa Catarina. 2 - When and how was the hoax discovered? The case reached the police in the last week of May, after a distant aunt of the victims searched the internet and found reports about crimes she had committed in other states. On June 2, the person under investigation was arrested at the victims' home in Joinville. 37-year-old woman who pretended to be 12 years old Personal archive/Reproduction 3 - How did she manage to deceive her family in Joinville (SC)? The approach of Amanda, who presented herself to the family under the false name of Gabriele, began subtly through the intermediation of a pastor from a local church in Joinville, according to the Civil Police. Initially, the woman said she was 18 years old and was looking for a job opportunity. But, as time went by, he began to report health problems and financial difficulties, raising awareness among his family. After she managed to gain the complete trust of the residents, Amanda changed her life story, stating that she was actually 11 years old, and also claiming to have been a victim of abuse. Thus, she was invited by the couple to live in the house and, during the period, she even had a 12th birthday party. 4 - How were the other cases that emerged after the arrest? In Rio de Janeiro, the scam was applied in 2023. Using the name "Duda", Amanda deceived an NGO claiming to be a victim of witchcraft rituals and abuse. According to nutritionist Renata Magalhães, victim of the scam, she simulated the symptoms through drawings, childish behavior and fake crises. In Florianópolis (SC), she also pretended to be a teenager when she was admitted to the Joana de Gusmão Children's Hospital in September 2023. At the time, doctors found several needles in her body during an x-ray, according to the unit's management. She ended up living in a shelter in the Capital. In Paraná, a woman even tattooed the fake name used by the suspect after creating a strong emotional bond with the alleged teenager. The tattoo was removed after the scam was discovered. In a statement after being arrested in Santa Catarina, Amanda confessed that she carried out the same scam in Curitiba (PR), Nova Iguaçu (RJ), in addition to the states of Minas Gerais, Goiás and Ceará. 5 - What did she gain during the coup in Santa Catarina? After emotionally kidnapping the Joinville family, Amanda was given a “supposed” 12th birthday party. The family that took her in also paid for weight loss treatment with Mounjaro. "She managed to emotionally kidnap the family. It was a family with a good financial situation, so she led a very good teenage life. During the period in which she was with her family, she did not receive money directly, but she received everything that was good and the best," said police chief Rodrigo Gusso. Woman 'emotionally kidnapped her family', police say 6 - What crimes is she accused of? On Tuesday (9), the Santa Catarina Court accepted the complaint presented by the Public Ministry (MP) against Amanda. Now, she is a defendant in a lawsuit and is responsible for the crimes of embezzlement and false identity. Who is the 37-year-old woman arrested after pretending to be 12 years old and being 'adopted' by family 'I was sure she was bigger, I just couldn't prove it', says social worker 7 - What happens now? The accused is now awaiting a mental health examination requested by the defense and accepted by the Court. The report will be made by the Scientific Police of Santa Catarina on June 26th. An x-ray examination showed that the woman had needles in her body in 2010. Reproduction. Infographic - Fake teenager Art/g1 VIDEOS: most watched g1 SC in the last 7 days