A stunning influencer dubbed the ‘Towaway Queen’ reportedly owes more than GBP 800,000 to a Brazilian state for undeclared earnings.
Curvy Priscila Santos – who boasts 417,000 Instagram followers – earned her nickname from the contract she has with officials to tow away impounded cars.
Now it has emerged in local media that she owes a fortune – over BRL 5 million (GBP 813,000) – to the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
Her company, Rebocar Remocao e Guarda de Veiculos LTDA, received a contract from the state’s Department of Road Transport worth BRL 25.8 million (GBP 4.20 million) in 2019 for towing, impounding and auctioning seized vehicles that had accumulated debts.
The contract included the populous cities of Rio de Janeiro, Niteroi and Sao Goncalo.
But after complaints from several clients – one claiming she had bought two cars at auction from Santos but never received them – state authorities launched an investigation.
They discovered that one company yard – in Vargem Grande, in the state capital – had been closed to the public for around six months, while only one employee worked there.
Santos has, reportedly, previously been investigated three times for alleged fraud.
An eviction order has been issued for the leased plot, which has so far accumulated a debt of around BRL 2 million (GBP 326,000), according to local reports.
The company also reportedly owes BRL 189,000 (BRL 30,800) for unpaid power bills.
Meanwhile, money earned from vehicle auctions during 2020 and 2021 was allegedly not passed onto the state government.
Despite terminating the contract with Santos’ company in December last year, a total balance of around BRL 5 million (GBP 813,000) remains unpaid.
An investigation into the company’s activities is ongoing.
According to local media, the influencer – who has been dubbed the ‘Rainha do Reboque’, which roughly translates as ‘Towaway Queen’ – was investigated for embezzlement in 2014, and two cases of embezzlement and fraud in 2017.