In a scene reminiscent of a dark comedy, a Brazilian woman recently made headlines by wheeling her deceased uncle into a Rio de Janeiro bank in an audacious attempt to secure a loan. The surreal moment, captured on video, left onlookers both shocked and bewildered. The protagonist of this bizarre tale is Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes. Armed with determination and a wheelchair, she entered the bank with her “uncle” in tow. However, this was no ordinary family outing. The “uncle” in question was none other than Paulo Roberto Braga, a 68-year-old man who had passed away several hours earlier. As the bank’s surveillance cameras rolled, Nunes positioned the lifeless body of her “uncle” in a chair. She then engaged in a one-sided conversation, imploring him to sign the necessary financial documents. The purpose? To secure a loan amounting to $3,400. “Uncle, are you listening?” Nunes pleaded, thrusting a pen between the limp fingers of the deceased. “You need to sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, because I can’t sign for you.” Desperate and undeterred, she continued, “Sign so you don’t give me any more headaches. I can’t take it anymore.” Bank

Staff and the Grim Discovery Bank employees, understandably unnerved by the macabre scene unfolding before them, promptly called the authorities. When a concerned worker pointed out that the man’s color appeared off and that he seemed “not well,” Nunes brushed aside the concerns. “He is like that,” she retorted. “He doesn’t say anything.” The authorities arrived swiftly and arrested Nunes. Their investigation revealed that Braga had already entered the bank albeit in a state of posthumous existence. The mystery deepened as authorities sought to determine whether Nunes was genuinely Braga’s niece or if other family members were involved in this audacious attempt at bank fraud. Nunes now faces potential charges related to theft through fraud, embezzlement, and mistreatment of a corpse. Meanwhile, investigators continue to unravel the circumstances surrounding Braga’s demise. As the world grapples with the absurdity of this real-life “Weekend at Bernie’s” scenario, one thing remains clear: truth is often stranger than fiction. Whether Nunes’s desperate ploy was born out of financial desperation or sheer audacity, it serves as a cautionary tale about the lengths some will go to secure a loan even if it means dragging a deceased relative along for the ride.