Thieves smash car window, snatch phone from Brazil woman's dashboard. That's not all

A thief smashed a Brazilian content creator's car window and stole her dashboard-mounted phone. The traumatising incident was followed by an alarming bank transfer.A dashcam video showed a Brazil woman getting robbed in seconds. (Photos: Instagram/@talenkphotos)A Brazilian content creator was left traumatised after a thief smashed her car window and stole her phone mounted on the dashboard. Then came an alarming bank transfer.Tabata Lenk was driving along Avenida Tancredo Neves in Brazil when the attack happened. In a video shared on Instagram, Lenk’s dashboard camera captured the whole robbery.The video showed two men approaching her car and smashing the window. Before she had much time to react, he reached inside, grabbed the phone and ran away.The entire incident unfolded in a matter of seconds. Shaken and visibly distressed, Lenk called out for help as people nearby moved towards her car. For a few moments, she appeared stunned by what had happened. Then, as the shock began to sink in, she broke down in tears.But what followed made the incident even more disturbing. Lenk said the thieves somehow managed to transfer money from her account despite, she said, not knowing her password or having access to her facial recognition. She also said they did not have her bank transfer PIN.In the Instagram post, she said she had already filed a police complaint, blocked the stolen phone and disputed the transaction with her bank. Yet she was unable to understand how the transfer had gone through.Watch the shocking video here:“I don't know how they managed it!” she wrote, questioning how the thieves could access her account without the security credentials she believed were required.She also expressed frustration with the authorities and urged people to circulate the video.The incident has initiated a conversation around street crime, digital banking security and the trauma victims experience after such attacks. Several people commenting on the video focused not just on the stolen phone or money, but on how frightening it was to watch Tabata Lenk's immediate reaction after the window was smashed.Phone snatching from motorists is a known form of street robbery in Brazil, particularly in congested traffic, where victims have little room to move or pursue attackers. Criminals generally target vehicles, smash windows and escape with phones or other valuables within seconds.- EndsPublished By: Srimoyee ChowdhuryPublished On: Aug 31, 2026 12:24 IST