Couple says they fell into a home ownership scam with the help of a Caixa employee: 'He said he would solve everything'

Couple says they fell for their own home scam with the help of a Caixa employee
The dream of owning their own home ended in debt and abandoned work for Guilherme Both and Bruna Both. The couple claims to have been victims of a scheme involving a construction company and an employee of Caixa Econômica Federal itself during a housing loan in Rio Grande do Sul.
According to them, the close relationship between the businessman and the bank branch helped to convey trust throughout the process.
End of the dream of owning a home: how construction companies defrauded families with Caixa money
'He was inside the agency'
In 2022, Guilherme and Bruna took out a loan of R$ 290 thousand by Caixa to build the house where they planned to raise their family.
The person who introduced the construction company to the couple was Pedro André Marchesi Cecegolo, named by the victims as the owner of the company responsible for the work. According to reports, he also worked at the Caixa branch where the contract was signed, in the city of Alvorada (RS).
The couple says that the businessman presented himself as someone capable of "facilitating" the financing process.
"He said he could arrange everything, forward everything", reported Guilherme.
Even without directly participating in the service on the day the contract was signed, Pedro André was inside the branch and would have greeted the couple after the financing was approved.
According to Guilherme, bank employees even wore mugs from the construction company on the agency's tables.
Reports indicated progress that did not exist
The work began, and the financing resources began to be released by Caixa according to progress reports presented to the bank.
But, according to the couple, the documents did not correspond to the reality of the construction.
Spreadsheets sent to Caixa indicated that items such as coverage, electrical and hydraulic installations were practically completed. When visiting the property, however, Guilherme claims to have found only part of the structure raised.
"Frames, 25%. There were none. Electrical installations, 75%. There was nothing," he said.
According to the couple, the construction company received more than R$200,000 in financing before abandoning the work.
Request for more money raised suspicions
Guilherme states that he began to suspect the scheme when the construction company asked for extra amounts, claiming that the financing money would not be enough to complete the house.
It was then that he decided to access the documents sent to Caixa and noticed the inconsistencies between the reports and the actual status of the work.
Shortly later, construction was interrupted. In addition to the debt with the bank, the couple claims to have lost around R$62,000 paid directly to the construction company as a down payment.
'Our dream turned into a nightmare'
Without being able to get into their own home, Guilherme and Bruna say they face financial and emotional consequences to this day.
"Our dream was to have our own house. It turned into a nightmare," said Bruna.
According to her, the impact was so great that she had to seek psychological treatment after the incident.
Couple says they fell in home ownership scam with the help of a Caixa employee
Reproduction/TV Globo
Employee was fired
Customers reported the case to the Caixa ombudsman.

Pedro André Marchesi Cecegolo was fired for just cause from the bank, but denies irregularities and says he did not cause financial loss to the institution.
In a statement, Caixa stated that any conduct by employees that does not comply with the internal code is investigated and may result in punishment.
The bank also informed that, in this financing model, it is up to the customer to financially manage the work and hire the responsible construction company.
Own house: how construction companies defrauded families with Caixa money
Reproduction/TV Globo
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Own home: how construction companies defrauded families with money from Caixa
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