IBGE
IBGE clarifies circulation of fake news involving official vehicle in Barão de Cotegipe (RS)
January 22, 2026 02h39 PM | Last Updated: January 26, 2026 11h38 AM
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reports that, on January 19, 2026, officers of the Erechim Branch (RS) were the target of hostility during register update activities in the rural area of the municipality of Barão de Cotegipe, due to the circulation of fake news in local WhatsApp groups. The misinformed contents mistakenly associated the IBGE's official vehicle with alleged crimes in the region, generating distrust and undue reactions from residents.
Given the situation, field work has been temporarily suspended and appropriate measures were taken with the police authorities, including registering the incident and forwarding the false material for investigation. The IBGE also requested the support of the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company (Emater/RS-Ascar) to disseminate clarifications to local communities and continues to evaluate the resumption of activities with the support of the Military Police and City Hall, in order to guarantee the safety of the teams.
We emphasize that the IBGE will only resume field activities in the region after defining an adequate security plan, ensuring that professionals are not again exposed to risks arising from misinformation.
Unfortunately, false news is already circulating beyond the municipality of Barão de Cotegipe.
The IBGE reinforces its commitment to the safety of its teams and the veracity of the information disseminated to the population.
Attention to the population: how to identify IBGE teams
The IBGE reinforces that all of our survey agents are properly identified with a badge, in addition to being included in our identity verification system. It is essential that the population is alert and checks the identity of the interviewers. To this end, we provide the following official channels:
- Verification Site: https://respondendo.ibge.gov.br
- Call Center: 0800 721 8181 (toll-free)
