38-year-old woman posed as a child and lived with a family (VIDEO) | Watch

In Brazil, 38-year-old Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira posed as a 12-year-old girl for 14 months, using a child's voice and mannerisms. She claimed to be an autistic child who had suffered abuse. A family believed her, took her in, and threw a party for her supposed 12th birthday. The deception unraveled when a relative began checking her story online. Oliveira was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to nearly two years in prison.

In Brazil, 38-year-old Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira posed as a 12-year-old girl for 14 months, using a child's voice and mannerisms. She appeared in a religious community in the city of Joinville (Santa Catarina state) under the name Gabriela Pereira dos Santos and claimed to be an autistic child who had suffered abuse. The family believed her story, took her in, set up a children's room with drawings and toys, paid for her expenses, and even threw a party for her supposed 12th birthday. The deception unraveled when a relative began to doubt the details and found online reports of similar cases in other Brazilian states. Police say Oliveira operated in several states, including Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Goiás. In 2017, she entered a social project in Belo Horizonte, presenting herself as a vulnerable young woman. In 2023, in Rio de Janeiro, nutritionist Renata Magalhães reported that Oliveira inserted needles into her own body. Oliveira admitted to misleading people but denied intent to deceive for financial gain. Her lawyers argued that this behavior was a survival mechanism. The court found her guilty of fraud and using a false identity, sentencing her to nearly two years in prison.