Influencer mom arrested over staging her own kidnapping to boost followers
A Brazilian social media personality has been taken into custody after investigators concluded she orchestrated a fake kidnapping in an attempt to attract attention and grow her online following. Authorities say the plan was carried out without her husband realizing it was staged.
Monniky Fraga, 27, a content creator from Brazil with about 48,000 followers online, was arrested Tuesday. The arrest came nearly a year after she told followers that she and her husband, Lucas, had been ambushed outside their home by three armed men. At the time, Fraga claimed the men forced the couple into their car, drove them to a wooded area, and held them hostage while demanding money.
In her account, Fraga said the attackers assaulted her husband and demanded their valuables before eventually forcing them to pay a ransom.
However, after launching an investigation into the reported kidnapping, police began to suspect the incident had been fabricated. Authorities now believe the event was staged as a way to gain publicity and increase engagement on social media.
Detective Cley Anderson said investigators uncovered evidence suggesting the supposed kidnapping was actually a planned scheme involving Fraga and one of the alleged participants. According to Anderson, Fraga’s husband was not part of the arrangement and believed the situation was genuine the entire time.
Police say four people in total were tied to the plot, including Fraga. One of the men connected to the case is currently in prison on unrelated charges. Another suspect was killed before police could carry out an arrest warrant.
A third individual, believed to have received the ransom payment, had his home in Várzea Paulista searched by investigators.
Fraga is facing several charges, including blackmail, interfering with a police investigation, and misusing law enforcement resources.
Her attorneys have asked the court to allow her to remain under house arrest while the case proceeds, citing the fact that she has young children at home.
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