Brazil's 'Tinder Swindler' is arrested after one of his 11 victims - who he fleeced of $355K - set up a FAKE profile to lure him

A Brazilian man who allegedly conned 11 women out of $355,000 after meeting them on dating apps has now been arrested. 

Caio da Silva was taken into custody March 22 at a Rio de Janeiro restaurant, where he was lured by his victims, who created a fake profile on Tinder, according to Fantástico, a news magazine show that airs on TV Globo.

They began plotting their revenge after one of the victims, Taya Banharo, learned of a June 2023 Fantástico report about da Silva having targeted other women.

Banharo, who met da Silva through the dating app while she was hospitalized and at one point was scammed out of close to $200, reached out to other women and set up a group chat.

By then, da Silva had disappeared from the dating app world only to return several months later. They were able to pinpoint his whereabouts after one of the women discovered that he had used her credit card.

Caio da Silva, who is being investigated for scamming women he met on dating app, was arrested in Rio de Janeiro on March 22. His apprehension was made possible after his victims came together and set up a fake profile with the picture of a woman he thought he was going to meet at a restaurant the day he was arrested

Taya Banharo was scammed out of almost $200 by Brazilian Tinder swindler, Caio da Silva, but she was able to get her money back 

Talita Silva, a Rio de Janeiro lawyer, managed to get back the $9,000 that she had loaned to Caio da Silva while they dated

Banharo created a fake profile and with the help of the other women was able to maintain conversations with da Silva via WhatsApp until they were able to set up a date. 

'We talked to him on WhatsApp until we got the arrest warrant. Then when the arrest warrant came out, I arranged a meeting with him,' Banharo said.

Da Silva thought he was meeting Banharo at a restaurant March 22 and instead was greeted by the police, who placed him under arrest.

'The investigation showed that he is a committed criminal,' Rio de Janeiro Civil Police chief Fábio Souza said. 'And worst of all, he continued talking to other would-be victims. His arrest was essential to prevent other people from falling for his scam.'

To his victims on Tinder, Caio da Silva would identify himself as a soap opera actor, a music composer, a real estate owner and a wealthy man

Banharo created a fake profile and with the help of the other women was able to maintain conversations with da Silva (pictured) via WhatsApp until they were able to set up a date

According to Fantástico, da Silva was in a two-month relationship with a member of the Rio de Janeiro Military Police.

'Everything that has been investigated is a civil offense, mere failure to comply with what was agreed between the parties', his lawyers told the outlet. 

Da Silva was once investigated for scamming five women in the nearby state of São Paulo and was convicted for embezzlement in 2019. But his sentenced was changed to community service, which he never met.

Da Silva often told his victims he was a soap opera actor, a music composer, a real estate owner and a wealthy man, but with financial issues.

He scammed one of his victims, whose preferred not to have her name disclosed, after telling her that he was the only person who inherited his late grandfather's properties and that he was having problems with several farms. He would introduce them to his children.

A São Paulo woman, whose name was also withheld, recalled taking out a bank loan for almost $3,000 because da Silva said he had to pay a fine for one of the farms. She ended up loaning him close to $29,000.

Talita Silva, a Rio de Janeiro lawyer, had luck on her side and was able to get back the $9,000 that she had loaned to da Silva, who also told her he need to pay a fine that was imposed on his farm and that he did not have access to his bank account because it was blocked.

'His profile caught my attention because from the beginning he demonstrated and said that he didn't want anything casual,' Silva told Fantástico in July 2023.

Another victim, who did not reveal her name, allegedly experienced the same treatment Silva was exposed to in the early stages of her relationship and fell for da Silva quickly.

'I thought he was a handsome guy, very charming, he had a lot of talk,' she said at the time. 'And then he already conquers in conversations. That's what he posts a lot in his videos, right, giving tips to women on what the perfect type of man is.'