Influencer arrested after ‘faking own kidnapping to gain followers’

A Brazilian influencer has been accused of faking a violent kidnapping in order to gain followers on social media.

In April last year, glamorous content creator Monniky Fraga and her husband were attacked by three armed men outside their home in the town of Igarassu, Brazil, marched into the woods, taken hostage and forced to pay ransom.

Fraga claimed that she and her husband were inside their car near their house when they were attacked, with the 27-year-old later recounted to her tens of thousands of followers.

There was only one problem, the entire story may have been faked.

An investigation into the case was launched after the April 2025 incident, when Fraga reported the ordeal to local police, claiming she and her husband had been kidnapped.

Content creator Monniky Fraga has been accused of faking a kidnapping in order to boost her social media presence (Instagram/@‌monnikydigital_)

Police have now Fraga on Tuesday (24 March) on suspicion of faking her own kidnapping in order to generate popularity and media coverage, according to a local police report cited by Portuguese outlet Globo.

"From what we can confirm, especially since the investigations are still ongoing, the influencer had a past relationship with one of the participants in what we believed to be a kidnapping," Jorge Pinto, deputy delegate of the Special Operations Group (GOE) told the outlet.

Law enforcement did not verify the nature of the relationship with Fraga had with the kidnappers of if he was one of the other people who received an arrest warrant. A cloned car and firearms are also alleged to have been used in order to make the kidnapping appear real.

The force also suggested that Fraga's husband, who was allegedly assaulted by the men, was not aware of the situation beforehand.

Pinto went on to allege that Fraga has masterminded the kidnapping in response to declining followers, adding: "The victim, in fact, was the mastermind behind the fake kidnapping, which was committed with the aim of gaining followers on social media.

The incident took place in the city of Igarassu, Brazil (Getty Stock Images)

"From what we can ascertain from the investigations, she was experiencing a decline in her social media following."

Police have also suggested that around four masked men were also involved in the alleged fake kidnapping.

Of those involved, police revealed that one of the men had subsequently been jailed for another crime while the second man had been murdered before an arrest warrant could be issued.

Police are also investigating two more men, one who had his home searched for allegedly received ransom money and a fourth person who has not yet been identified.

Fraga has not responded to the claims, however her defense has argued that her arrest should be converted to a house arrest as she is the mother of small children.