Brazilian individual arrested after uploading 400 fake tracks to Spotify, generating 28 million plays and $65k in streaming revenueBrazilian authorities have arrested and charged an individual for uploading over 400 fake tracks to Spotify.
The tracks have generated over 28 million fake plays on the streaming service and earned the accused over $65K, according to a statement from IFPI, the non-profit organisation representing the recording industry worldwide.
The arrest was made last December by the Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Goias cybercrime unit, Cyber Gaeco, as part of a joint operation supported by IFPI, Pro-Música Brasil, and Brazilian anti-piracy body Association for the Protection of Phonographic Intellectual Rights (APDIF).

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More than $400k in assets were seized by authorities; the investigation also uncovered further copyright infringement, with 36 tracks allegedly stolen from local composers via promotional WhatsApp groups.
“These tracks, along with associated fake artist profiles, have been removed from the platform by request of the prosecutor’s office,” says IFPI.
“While not presently included in the criminal charges, the use of artificial intelligence to generate music tracks was also identified during the investigation and may be brought into the case at a later stage.”
In recent years, the use of generative AI by bad actors to mass-create content for the purpose of streaming manipulation has been a sticky issue in the music industry.
“Simply put, streaming manipulation of this nature is theft – stealing directly from artists and betraying fans,” says IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley. “We commend the actions of the State of Goiás prosecutor’s cybercrime unit for their work in this case and will continue to work closely with local authorities in Brazil, but more broadly across the world, to ensure this illegal activity is stopped.”
Paulo Rosa, President of Pro-Música Brasil, adds: “Stream manipulation is one of the biggest concerns of the music sector. We applaud the Public Attorney’s Office of the state of Goiás for this successful operation and will continue to work closely with Brazilian authorities to tackle these fraudulent practices.”
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