Cesar Fernandes Borges Filho, a 34-year-old man from County Waterford, has been sentenced to two years in prison for operating as a ghost insurance broker, deceiving members of the Brazilian community in Ireland out of €12,500. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court handed down the sentence on Tuesday, also ordering Filho to sell his motorbike to help repay his victims.
Judge Martin Nolan highlighted that Filho exploited the trust of his victims, many of whom were newly arrived Brazilians unfamiliar with Ireland’s insurance regulations. The scam took place between 2019 and 2020, with Filho posing as a legitimate insurance broker and collecting fraudulent payments for motor insurance policies. The victims believed they were covered, only to find out the policies were invalid.
Filho, who lived in Ballymacaw, Dunmore East, gained clients through word-of-mouth recommendations within the Brazilian community. He conducted transactions primarily via WhatsApp, quoting arbitrary prices ranging from €900 to €2,480. Sergeant Gavin Coleman informed the court that Filho’s actions came to light when an insurance company flagged his duplicate email address.
Despite the scale of the scam, only one victim submitted a written impact statement, with many victims hesitant to engage with law enforcement, fearing they might face legal consequences themselves. Sgt Coleman emphasized that the losses were significant for these individuals, who were in Ireland legally but with limited financial resources.
The court heard that Filho had prior convictions for deception and road traffic offenses. A €10,000 motorbike was seized from his home, and Judge Nolan ruled it should be sold, with the proceeds distributed to his victims. Filho’s defense presented letters of apology from both him and his wife, arguing for leniency given his cooperation and the fact that he is a new father.
While acknowledging Filho’s cooperation and guilty pleas, Judge Nolan stressed the gravity of the offenses, sentencing him to three years but suspending the final year on the condition that the motorbike sale goes ahead.