Fraud Alert: Fake Contract Uses Oliveira Lawyers Logo—How to Protect Yourself

August 2025 — A fraudulent document titled “Sales Purchase Agreement (White Refined Cane Sugar IC45)” was presented to a import–export company. It pressures the buyer to pay an up-front deposit of a substantial amount within 48 hours. The file misuses the Oliveira Lawyers logo, a counterfeit notary seal, and a forged version of our managing partner’s signature. We have zero involvement with this document or the named parties (GRM Agrícola Ltda. and Hainan Hairong Trading Co.).

“Our firm handles legal matters—never sugar or commodity trades. Any contract bearing our stamp that is unrelated to legal services is a forgery.”
—Luciano Oliveira, Managing Partner

How this August 2025 scam Structured its Payment Trap

The staged payments below appear only in the forged cane-sugar contract uncovered in August 2025; other scams may use different figures or timelines.

Why this schedule exposes the contract as a forgery:

• Front-loaded cash risk. Legitimate sugar deals rely on Letters of Credit or ≤ 10 % performance bonds—never a 5 % wire before inspection.
• Seller-controlled paperwork. The 15 % release hinges only on documents the seller creates, giving fraudsters a second payout before cargo would theoretically move.
• Unrealistic timeline. Moving 50 000 MT from Santos to Shenzhen in one month is marginal; demanding full settlement on arrival without independent discharge sampling is another red flag.
• Misplaced law-firm stamp. Commodity SPAs are authenticated by banks and surveyors, not a real-estate law firm—our logo’s presence is itself evidence of impersonation.
• No buyer safeguards. The contract omits escrow, independent trustee, or ICC arbitration escrow—payments flow straight to a third-party account.

Why Criminals Target Well-Known Law-Firm Brands

Fraud rings love authoritative seals because they lower a victim’s guard. A recognised law-firm crest signals “due diligence completed” even when no lawyer has reviewed the deal. For high-value commodity contracts, a single trusted logo can fast-track multi-million-dollar transfers without further verification. INTERPOL recorded a 34 % rise in “law-firm impersonation” cases across Latin America and Asia in 2024; most victims admitted they never rang the purported firm—relying solely on letterhead and watermarks.

Spotting a Fake Brazilian Notary Stamp

1. Scan the QR. Genuine codes resolve to a .br government or cartório domain.
2. Find the cartório number. Authentic stamps list a numeric code plus the state abbreviation (e.g., “5º TABELIÃO – SP”).
3. Date format matters. Official stamps show DD / MM / YYYY; U.S. style MM-DD-YYYY is another red flag.
4. Confirm via phone. Call the cartório number on the stamp; staff can confirm whether the act was recorded.

How Oliveira Lawyers Responds to Brand Abuse

• Police reports. We have reported the aforementioned fraud to the Brazilian investigative police through a police report.
• Dedicated verification. Contact us at [email protected] for any suspicious files.
• Law-enforcement liaison. Confirmed forgeries are forwarded to the Brazilian police.

Other Checks Before You Click “Send”

Think you’ve received a fake Oliveira Lawyers document?
Forward it to us for a prompt check.

[email protected]

If You Suspect Fraud, Follow These Five Steps

1. Pause. Never wire money under pressure.
2. Save everything. Keep the PDF, email headers, and any QR links.
3. Email [email protected] for confirmation.
4. Call your bank’s fraud desk immediately if funds were sent.
5. File a police report using the contacts in the table below.

Where to Report Fraud

Worried about a high-value wire or escrow?
Talk to us first.

[email protected]

© Oliveira Lawyers 2025 — Post published 5 Aug 2025. General information only; always consult a licensed attorney for advice specific to your situation.