Brazilian Influencer Allegedly Staged Kidnapping for Ransom, Husband Was Unaware Victim

In Igaraçu, on April 21, 2025, influencer Monique Fraga and her husband Lucas were ambushed by three armed men while returning home in Igaraçu, Brazil. Monique told her thousands of followers that she and her husband faced a terrifying ordeal. However, after a police investigation, the case took a new turn, revealing some shocking facts.

Monique had told her followers on social media, “I was returning home with Lucas when they surrounded us on the road. There were three armed men; at first, I thought they were just going to rob our car. But when they took us out of the car and put us in another vehicle, I realized the situation was much more serious.” 

Monique claimed they were taken hostage in a jungle near a river and forced to pay a ransom. She stated that she thought she would never see her family again as the kidnappers threatened to shoot them.

“I could only think of my children; I begged them, saying I would give them whatever they asked, but not to harm me,” she said. She claimed that although the kidnappers threatened to shoot her in the knees and legs, they did nothing after she pleaded extensively. 

Eventually, after the family paid the ransom demanded by the kidnappers, they were dropped off in a village. Her husband, Lucas, injured from the kidnappers' beating, went straight to the police station to file a complaint. Subsequently, the special operations group of the Civil Police began investigating the incident. 

Shortly after starting the investigation, the police found the incident suspicious. Call detail records showed that Monique had been in constant contact with an alleged kidnapper both before and after the incident. 

After analyzing the evidence, the police concluded that the kidnapping was merely a staged drama orchestrated by the alleged victim (Monique) and one kidnapper to extort money.

The most surprising aspect of this case was that Monique's husband, Lucas, knew nothing about this drama. He was the only genuine victim in this incident. He truly believed that his and his wife's lives were in danger and was severely beaten by the armed men during the supposed kidnapping.

About a year after staging the kidnapping, police arrested Monique on March 25. She has been charged with extortion, fraud, and filing a false police report. One of the three individuals involved in the incident has been arrested, and the police are searching for another. 

Monique's lawyer has declined to comment on the matter at this time.