A British university student collapsed unconscious on Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema beach in the early hours of August 8 after being drugged and robbed by three women in what authorities call a “Goodnight Cinderella” scam. The 21-year-old engineering graduate lost approximately £16,000 from his bank accounts during the incident.
The victim was celebrating his graduation with a British friend during their 10-day holiday in Brazil when they met three women at a samba dance in the Lapa neighborhood. After moving to a local bar, one of the suspects offered the student a caipirinha cocktail. The victim later told local media he consumed only “two sips and I don’t remember anything else.”
Surveillance footage captured the disoriented tourist staggering along the Ipanema beachfront before collapsing face-first into the sand. The video also shows three women running along the street and jumping into a taxi before quickly fleeing the area. The victim’s friend, recognizing something was wrong, threw his mobile phone into the sand before also losing consciousness, preventing the suspects from accessing his banking applications.
A 19-year-old delivery driver witnessed the incident and called emergency services while filming the scene. The driver reported being told by a bystander that the women had drugged the tourist and were stealing his belongings. When he returned 10 minutes later after confronting the suspects, he found the victim still unresponsive and drooling with his face in the sand.
Police identified the three suspects as Amanda Couto Deloca, 23, Mayara Ketelyn Americo da Silva, 26, and Raiane Campos de Oliveira, 27. Investigators determined the women are sex workers who specifically target tourists in the city. Campos de Oliveira has been arrested 20 times previously for similar offenses and was jailed for six months in 2023 for drugging and robbing another British tourist, though her conviction was overturned on appeal last month.
The victim woke up in a hospital emergency room to discover the substantial theft from his accounts. Police reported that approximately £20,000 was initially moved from the victim’s investment account to his current account, but only about £2,000 was spent before authorities froze the funds. Around £18,000 has since been recovered. Both British tourists also reported their iPhones were stolen during the incident.
Authorities located the taxi driver who transported the women from the scene but determined he was not involved in the crime. Officers believe the suspects were in contact with another person during the incident and are working to identify additional accomplices. The victims recognized the women in social media videos that showed them together before the alleged robbery.
The Special Tourism Support Unit is investigating the case and has issued warnings to visitors about socializing with strangers and sharing drinks. This “Goodnight Cinderella” scam has become increasingly common in Brazil, with criminals using date rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB to incapacitate tourists before robbing them.
Police Chief Patricia Alemany indicated that investigators are awaiting toxicology test results to determine the exact drug used to spike the British men’s drinks. Authorities have also requested CCTV footage from the area to help identify possible accomplices. The case highlights ongoing challenges in prosecuting such crimes, as foreign tourists often leave the country before legal proceedings conclude.
Criminal law professor Ronny Nunes explained the difficulties in convicting “Goodnight Cinderella” perpetrators, noting that tourist victims frequently cannot be located when needed to testify in court. When initial police statements are not confirmed during trial proceedings, conviction becomes very difficult and acquittal often results.
The incident represents part of a broader pattern of tourist-targeted crime in Rio de Janeiro. Earlier in August, another escort was arrested for allegedly luring tourists before drugging and robbing them of £13,000. In a separate recent incident, two women targeted Chilean holidaymakers by slipping date-rape drugs into their drinks before pushing the drugged tourists off a 10-foot cliff.
The British victims expressed gratitude to the delivery driver who assisted them, with one stating his appreciation for the Good Samaritan’s help in filming evidence and calling emergency services. Both students have indicated they are preparing to return to the United Kingdom following their ordeal, with the primary victim noting he might return to Brazil someday but declaring the experience was currently “enough of this country.”
Tourism officials continue to emphasize safety precautions for visitors to popular Brazilian destinations, particularly regarding accepting drinks from strangers and staying in groups during nighttime activities. The investigation remains active as authorities work to apprehend additional suspects connected to the organized crime operation targeting international tourists.
