Por André Santiago, do Ongrace

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Una llamada de un supuesto empleado del banco, un mensaje sobre una compra sospechosa o una promesa de inversión con ganancias garantizadas. Situaciones aparentemente comunes pueden esconder intentos de fraude. En Brasil, las estafas financieras se multiplican y ponen de manifiesto cómo los delincuentes utilizan el miedo, la urgencia y la confianza para engañar a sus víctimas.A call from someone claiming to be a bank employee, a message about a suspicious purchase or a promise of guaranteed investment returns. Seemingly ordinary situations can conceal attempts at fraud. In Brazil, financial scams are multiplying, revealing how criminals exploit fear, urgency and trust to deceive their victims.

According to the 2026 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, the country recorded 2,261,055 cases of fraud in 2025, a 2.7% increase over the previous year. That amounts to approximately 258 reports per hour. Compared with 2018, the cumulative increase has reached 429.8%.

The problem is also reflected in research on the digital environment. A survey released in August 2026 by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) found that 32% of internet users ages 16 and older had experienced scam attempts involving their personal data. Another 20% reported actually falling victim to this type of crime.

Among the strategies used by scammers is social engineering, a technique designed to manipulate victims’ behavior to obtain information or induce them to transfer money. Criminals may set up fake bank call centers, posing as employees of financial institutions. A study by the company Quod, also released in August, found that this method accounted for 40% of the indicators of financial fraud identified in the first half of the year.

In these situations, a scammer may claim that an account has been compromised or that suspicious activity has occurred, pressuring the victim to act quickly. The goal is to prevent the person from having time to verify the information through official channels. The main recommendation is to be wary of urgent requests for money, passwords or personal information. If consumers receive a suspicious call, they should end the conversation and contact their bank through a trusted customer service channel, without using phone numbers or links provided by the suspected scammer. It is also important to verify the recipient’s information before making transfers and to be skeptical of investments promising high returns without risk.

If the scam involves Pix, Brazil’s Central Bank advises victims to immediately notify their financial institution and request the Special Refund Mechanism (MED). The request can be made within 80 days of the transaction, but recovery of the money is not guaranteed. Filing a police report and preserving messages, receipts and other evidence are also essential steps.

As fraud becomes increasingly sophisticated, recognizing manipulation attempts and verifying information before making financial decisions are essential precautions to reduce risks.