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Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira Convicted of Fraud After Spending 14 Months Pretending to Be a 12-Year-Old Child

Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, a 37-year-old woman from Brazil, has been convicted of fraud and false identity after spending 14 months living with a foster family while pretending to be a 12-year-old autistic girl. The woman claimed she was fleeing abuse and used a high-pitched, childlike voice to convince the evangelical couple that she was a vulnerable child. To explain her adult physique, she claimed her parents had forced her to take hormones in early childhood. The deception was eventually uncovered by her adoptive aunt, who noticed inconsistencies in her story. Police discovered that Oliveira had performed similar scams across multiple Brazilian states, including Rio de Janeiro, where she had previously deceived other families. A judge in Santa Catarina rejected her defense of mental illness, ruling that she acted deliberately and consciously. Oliveira was sentenced to one year, six months, and 10 days in prison, plus an additional four months and 18 days of detention.

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