SOCIAL ENGINEERING AS A TOOL FOR POLICE INTELLIGENCE: APPLICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS IN THE OPERATIONS OF THE PARÁ MILITARY POLICE

Abstract

The increasing digitalization of social and institutional relations has significantly expanded the incidence of cyber fraud based on social engineering, making the human factor one of the main vectors of vulnerability in public and private organizations. In this context, this article analyzes social engineering as a police intelligence tool, investigating its applications and limits within the activities of the Military Police of Pará (PMPA). The research problem seeks to understand how social engineering techniques may contribute to intelligence production without violating fundamental rights, ethical principles, and legal limits imposed on military police activity. The general objective is to assess the potential of social engineering as a preventive and repressive police intelligence instrument, identifying risks, opportunities, and institutional control mechanisms. The methodology is qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive, based on bibliographic and documentary research, including constitutional norms, academic publications, institutional prevention booklets, and recent data on digital fraud in Brazil. The results indicate that social engineering may be legitimately employed in awareness campaigns, fraud prevention actions, criminal behavior analysis, and protection of PMPA informational assets, contributing to public order preservation and institutional security. However, its operational use is limited by constitutional principles related to legality, proportionality, privacy, and human dignity. It is concluded that PMPA should prioritize the defensive use of social engineering through normative protocols, continuous training, and integration with intelligence and cybersecurity agencies, thereby strengthening its constitutional mission of preventive policing and public order preservation.