r/Wellthatsucks • u/Lastito • 1d ago
Thieves Stole a Brazilian Creator Tabata’s iPhone in Traffic and Somehow Accessed Her Bank Account
Brazilian car content creator Tabata was stuck in traffic when a thief suddenly attacked her and stole her iPhone. The entire thing happened in just one second.
It took Tabata a few moments to process what had happened before she broke down crying.
But the strangest part wasn't the phone being stolen.
The thieves somehow managed to make a bank transfer from her account, even though they supposedly didn't know her password, have access to her Face ID, or know her bank transfer password.
She later reported the incident to the police. who were able to recover the iPhone.
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u/SchwiftySqaunch 1d ago
That was crazy fast, I didn't think you could break a window like that without ninja rocks or a smasher
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u/thingamajig1987 1d ago
You can see he has some sort of tool he's holding with both hands as he approaches the car
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u/xXPhoenixBlueXx 1d ago
This comment is too far down.
I've never seen someone basically dive through a car window in one motion. Especially the angle he was coming in on. Something ain't right here.
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u/Critical_Job1262 1d ago
Isn't it fairly easy to do so with those safety windshield breaker stuff.
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u/oopsometer 1d ago
Or a spark plug. These thieves are really good at being fast and efficient.
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u/Total-Law4620 1d ago
Medic here.... Nope.... Ain't easy. But possible. This guy was lightning fast.
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u/Nagisan 1d ago
Watch it again, the guy brings both hands up holding something in the "front" hand. He uses both to get more leverage/power, but pulls the "front" hand back immediately while the "rear" hand continues into the cab to grab the phone. So basically the "front" hand gets slowed/stopped as it breaks the window and the rear hand continues through unimpeded because the glass is out of the way.
You've never seen someone this smooth because you probably haven't seen this type of thing often (I know I haven't). Without a doubt it's something he's practiced.
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u/CottyCheese 1d ago
It looked to me like he balled both hands together, left hand is definitely covered with a glove or sleeve so maybe holding a small tool or something, and smashed through the window then used his ungloved right hand to reach and grab the phone.
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u/randomlitbois 1d ago
He did have something. If you pause you can see him holding something with two hands, break the window, then reach.
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u/SchwiftySqaunch 1d ago
Hm, I tried slowing it down but never get a clear image of a anything. Car glasses notoriously random with stuff like this I've seen videos of people trying to break out car windows with hammers and not getting through but then stuff like this with well placed elbow or device makes for light work of it.
Seems like he was at least well practiced in and out in less than 2 seconds would make even Nicolas Cage blush.
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u/ruxp1n 1d ago
Her name is Tabata Lenk. She's a Brazilian automotive creator, and the little Chevy Celta she's driving is her pride and joy. She calls it “Celsinho.”
Two thieves smashed her window, stole her phone and then took another R$2,000 from her Nubank account.
I searched Brazilian news, social media and Reddit trying to find the part where these assholes got caught.
I couldn't.
São Paulo has an entire category for this now: “quebra-vidro” — window breakers. Crews target cars trapped in traffic, smash the glass, grab unlocked phones and can have the banking accounts drained before the victim has a chance to react.
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u/blbd 1d ago
Crime in Brazil is just wild. It has levels of innovation and sophistication you don't see in other countries. How are they draining accounts without the matching faces and fingerprints though? That perplexes me.
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u/Fencer308 1d ago
The phones are probably unlocked up on the dashboards when they grab them. So they just need to keep the phone open to prevent it from locking. As for the security on the banking apps, I don’t know enough about Brazilian banking apps. The fact they only took R$2000 makes me think maybe it was a tap to charge kinda thing. Maybe there’s a version of that that doesn’t need Face ID.
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u/flavsflow 1d ago
Probably some third party digital wallet enabled. Still...
All my Brazilian digital banking for almost 2 decades was top notch secured, with several layers of fingerprint, extra passcodes and more. That was almost 10 years ago. I have no idea now if banks are facilitating user access without safeguards. My cell blocks the screen after a few seconds when I'm outside.
She could've been using the bank when robbed, which is also odd for the setting. Either way, even if crime is rampant in Brazil, it always a traumatizing experience.
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u/PepsiColasss 1d ago
Maybe its different there idk but even if i use tap to charge i still need to scan my fingerprint for it to actually fully activate , im guessing its not a thing there?
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u/Lazy_Firefighter_653 23h ago
I don’t use Nubank but I’m from Brasil and my bank app (Bradesco/BB) always asks for face recognition and a 4 digit password just for opening the app…
But these guys always seem to “know a guy” that can bypass these safety mechanics.
Once my friend got robbed in São Paulo and less than an hour later me and some other guys were texting the robber/his crew and they were laughing at us sending prints of his opened bank account, don’t know how, but they can do that…
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u/AlternateTab00 16h ago
What it feels strange is the lack of security that nowadays phones have
Example of security feature my phone have
Quick accelerations (like phones being snatched from an holder or someones hands) will auto lock.
Huge change of speeds with loss of Bluetooth connections (like smartwatchs or car infotainment systems) also induces auto locks.
This is so sensitive that once i was checking my phone for a bus time only to see it passing me so i ran while holding my phone on my hand, that alone autolocked it.
As for money transfers. Lower than 20€ requires a 2FA (one to open the app and one to authorize the transfer, usually pattern+biometric). 20 to 200€ requires a 3FA (or 4FA if a "suspicious" transfer). For higher amounts non certified destinations nor previous contact it will require either 4FA or the full 5FA. Even an unlocked phone where you know the access codes/patterns you at most pass 3 of the authentications.
But then again i do not know how the money transfer apps work in brazil. But probably they are weak in protections actually favoring these phone hijacks
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u/unsolvedfanatic 1d ago
Probaly one of the apps that use Pix and just transfer the money, or fake a purchase.
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u/Valerian_ 1d ago
First time I hear about bank apps that don't require your fingerprint or password every time you open it or do any important action O_o
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u/Lune_Moooon 1d ago
there are methods to use payment tools when the phone is already unlocked, including NFC. there are some vídeos on YouTube documenting this. This happens literally everyday in Brazil
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u/EconomyDoctor3287 1d ago
It's under $400 bucks, so probably the thieves just did a tap to pay via NFC charge, not a bank transfer
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u/GoldenFalcon 1d ago
Maybe I'm wrong.. but, the phone is likely already unlocked because it's in use. So, all they had to do was keep it awake until they did what they did.
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u/LordRT27 1d ago
The phone being unlocked does not really help much with getting into bank apps though, apart from being able to access the app itself, you would still need passwords to access your bank account.
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u/GingerBeast81 1d ago
The world sucks when I question if this was staged or not....
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u/imightstealyourdog 1d ago
If this was fake she’d have to be the best actor. She didn’t even close her eyes when the glass shattered and instead looked right at the loud noise and flying glass
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u/Pedro_CPP 1d ago
Thats not staged...
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u/Educational_Care7813 1d ago
So many crazy people, how can you see this clip and think it's staged and have 1000 up votes, it's like people watching a old video and claiming AI and everyone agreeing
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u/flightwatcher45 1d ago
Same. Some influencer trying to get followers, and money. We are doomed
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u/eamondo5150 1d ago
When I saw it I thought she wasn't nearly as startled as I would be if someone smashed my window in when I wasn't expecting it.
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u/IndefiniteHazard 1d ago
And conveniently covered her face from potential glass with her elbow up....or luckily...
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u/tiagogutierres 1d ago
That’s pretty normal in Brazil specially when you’re dumb enough to make yourself such an easy target
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u/DomBolais 1d ago
Unfortunately this is very common in brazil, when they snatched her phone it was unlocked so they easily got into her bank account
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u/EnzioKara 1d ago
Don't you have password to access bank app?
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u/SirValidir 1d ago
I'm in phone sales and that's one reason security is up when transferring numbers. You can reset the password for some banks as long as you have access to the registered phone number. A text message verification code will let you reset the password.
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u/TheRebellin 1d ago
The speed of it all is so wild! She didn‘t even have time to comprehend what just happened and they were already gone again.
So, what I‘m learning is, have your real phone attached to you at all times, and your old phone out in the open using your real one‘s hotspot to navigate and stuff (or better, having anything valuable on you) when in Brazil
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u/midnitewarrior 1d ago
Phone was unlocked in her car. 2 factor auth requests would be texted to her for things like changing passwords or approving transactions.
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u/darryledw 1d ago
who were able to recover the iPhone.
of course they were because part of the arrangement with the "robbers" was her getting it back
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u/ExtensionTruth4 1d ago
What? Are you saying this was a set-up? By her?
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u/FiatIsAScam 1d ago
She is white and the thieves are black. Of course this must be a set up! Brazil is known for being extremely safe, no bike robbers at all and has basically zero murders /s
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u/safereddddditer175 1d ago
If the phone was already unlocked whilst displaying Waze/Gmaps or something, the bank app could be accessible
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u/AWildUbly 1d ago
Bank apps in the UK require a second login, fingerprint or pass code.
That's not the same everywhere?
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u/Real-Pizza-8290 1d ago
here in brazil its the same, you need the password (fingerprint works) when opening the app and i think also your account password when you transfer money, so its really weird that they got both passwords like its nothing
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u/Deadbringer 1d ago
In Norway it is a pin to open the app then BankID to do transfers. BankID is usually password+a code from a dongle, but sometimes it is only the dongle code.
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u/RustledForeskin 21h ago
People have their bank site saved on their phone, then their second form of authorization is a text message to that phone. Easy as pie.
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u/Muted-Woodpecker-469 1d ago
And that’s also why they say you need to lockdown or hide or strap your purse down. A window alone isn’t safe anymore
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u/Downtown-Cellist10 1d ago
That’s why you should enable “lockdown mode” on an iPhone. Along with some other stuff like thief protection. At that point even the fbi couldn’t get into your iPhone.
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u/quantumwoes 1d ago
This video captures how long it takes the brain to process such a sudden experience. It's interesting how she sits, processes it, and then is filled with emotion
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u/Komiisimp 1d ago
I mean she didn't lose any money since the bank will get her money back. Insurance will take car of the car damage. But the attack is traumatizing.
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u/Nerd_Man420 1d ago
I’ve been fighting with capital one for a year now about a stolen credit card that was used, and they refuse to help me in anyway.
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u/BirthofRevolution 1d ago
Damn they helped me and credited my account almost immediately while they investigated.
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u/happyeriko 23h ago
Im sorry that happened to you. Oddly enough they alerted me to fraudulent charges and gave me my money back a few times. This was over 10 years ago though.
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u/illknowitwhenireddit 1d ago
The bank won't get her money back. There are case after case of people.havj g their bank accounts compromised through their cards and the money is gone. Banks can't/won't do shit.
Her insurance deductible is likely higher than the cost of her window, if so she will need to pay out of pocket for the windows as well.
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u/Element_108 1d ago
What country are you talking about? Brazil? US?
Because its heavily dependent on the country.
In chile for example, banks are responsible for getting your money back. Which is why they have to spend a lot on anti - fraud areas
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u/Mr_Baronheim 1d ago
You're right, rhere are a lot of banks that won't add don't have to return money.
Especially debit cards, which don't carry the same protection as credit cards.
Got scammed by one of those "I sent you a check for 1,000 too much, just deposit the check and wire me the 1,000" scams? The bank usually isn't responsible to reimburse the money you lost.
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u/captain-chief 1d ago
Well that's a little bit different. You actually intentionally and personally sent money to someone, regardless of the fraudulent circumstances you were led to believe. Actual fraud where someone who is not you, without your knowledge or permission, accesses your funds without any legitimate reason (not a service you signed up for and forgot, or thought was a one time payment because you didn't read the contract closely enough) is what everyone else is talking about.
So yeah, the bank isn't responsible to return money that you lost, but most of time will cover money that was taken from you. Either before or after an fraud investigation.
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u/35er 1d ago
My bank literally just credited $2k to my account 3 weeks ago when I got compromised. I had to file a fraud case for 17 transactions. Idk maybe I got lucky but I just experienced the opposite. But what I will say is the cops refused to do shit. I had all the paperwork from my bank and they couldn’t be bothered with it.
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u/ElonMusksQueef 1d ago
Both my cards are visa. I’ve had thousands of euro spent on a PC on my credit card when I was in a different country, got it back, and a website I paid ten euro to somehow managed to take 5 more for €20 each from my debit card and I got that back to.
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u/granninja 1d ago
you are just plain wrong lol
banks are liable for that, doubly so if they failed to protect her account after she reported the incident
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u/Tentak3l 1d ago
4k dashcam i would film my best " i go full force into a dude in a bike to see him fly" like in GTA4
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u/dart-builder-2483 1d ago
The phone was likely unlocked when they grabbed it, they probably look for that.
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1d ago
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u/Wellthatsucks-ModTeam 1d ago
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u/RelativeGrocery607 1d ago
Как турист ,в Бразилию ни ногой , мне такой отдых и даром не нужен
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u/think_up 1d ago
Is it just me or does it seem like she was watching them in the rear view mirror?
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u/legteruwekopneffe 7h ago
What are the chances you steal the phone from the person who literally created Brazil!
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u/spacees1 1d ago
How does she know that there is money withdrawn already? (At the end of the video)
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u/Sathsong89 1d ago
In order to upload an edited video, first you must record the video and advance in time to do the edit and post.
Cmon now…
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u/Acrobatic-Noise2246 1d ago
What is that side window made of? That was crazy! I mean if your car window is basically as thin as a wine glass you can’t expect to be protected. How did he know? He just punched right through that thing. Crazy
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u/ShiftAlternative1083 1d ago
Modern vehicles use tempered glass intentionally. It's considered a safety feature so you don't become trapped in your vehicle in a fire or water situation. He had something in his hands that broke the glass that easily, which means they're experienced with doing this
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u/az-anime-fan 1d ago
not that surprising. chances are her phone was unlocked with it mounted on her dash like that. if she didn't have mfa setup on her account it might have been a simple matter to reset her bank password and initiate the transfer. (assuming she had her iphone setup on the email account the bank email was set to)
MFA people. it's absolutely vital. and try to vary up where the MFA goes to when possible. the ultimate MFA fail would be if she added MFA to that account thinking she was securing it, but set it to her iphone's text messaging.
then these guys would have access to both her email for password resets for the account and the mfa for the account.
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u/DC92T 1d ago
How do they use these phones without the password??
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u/aerovalky 1d ago
she most likely had the phone unlocked already using maps as a gps or listening to music
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u/LuckyLudor 1d ago
That's my assumption, though if she had any sense she would have had her bank accounts set-up to reconfirm her identity. (And that's only in the marginal chance this isn't staged.)
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u/unsolvedfanatic 1d ago
Pay for something with the phone, then strip it for parts or send to China.
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u/Last_Of_The_BOHICANs 19h ago
Why do you create a new paragraph for every sentence?
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u/Lastito 18h ago
What are you talking about?
I’m trying to tell the background story of what happened.
Im doing that to give context of what happened to catch the criminals.
They still remain at large I think. It’s not my story.
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u/Last_Of_The_BOHICANs 17h ago
What are you talking about?
When you write, you create a new paragraph for every sentence you type. Why do that?
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u/Bl4ckR4bb17 1d ago
What is the point of stealing an iPhone? You can track it and it has good security so it's generally hard to get into it. Furthermore banking apps usually have good security too so you can't transfer money without a password first.