Fist to the windshield – and the cellphone is gone: Brazil's romance with stolen phones reaches the elections

Brazil suffers from approximately 830,000 phone thefts per year, and the phenomenon has become a central issue in the presidential elections between Lula and Bolsonaro. Both propose harsher penalties. High phone prices and financial scams exacerbate the crisis.

Brazil, one of the most connected countries in the world, suffers from approximately 830,000 mobile phone thefts per year. The phenomenon has become a central issue in the presidential election campaign, where incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his rival Flavio Bolsonaro will face off in a tight runoff. The article describes the phone robbery of content creator Tabata Lanck, whose documentation went viral, illustrating the sense of insecurity. Lula signed a law increasing penalties to up to 10 years in prison, and Bolsonaro proposes a minimum sentence of 8 years. Phone prices in Brazil are particularly high, with an iPhone 17 Pro selling for about $2,260. Phone thefts have been on a downward trend since 2023, but 830,000 cases were still recorded last year. Financial scams using stolen devices have surged more than fourfold between 2024 and 2025. A March poll showed phone thefts ranked as the fourth most important security concern, ahead of stray bullets and burglaries.