Brazil combats surge in phone scams and spoofed calls

Digital fraud via telephone calls has become a primary method for scams in Brazil, accounting for 53% of digital fraud attempts. According to the 2026 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, approximately 16.5 million Brazilians lost money to fraud during the reported period, with total losses reaching roughly R$ 21.2 billion.

In response to widespread irregular traffic, the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has ordered the blocking of calls from two companies—Voros Telecomunicações and ELO Contact Center—which were responsible for over 4.3 million spoofed calls between September 2025 and June 2026. Anatel noted that these calls are part of a larger volume exceeding 203 million adulterated calls.

Voros Telecomunicações was found to be providing clandestine telecommunications services, while ELO Contact Center violated sector rules by using non-standard numbers. Anatel has also required telecommunications providers, including TIM, Algar, Itelco, and Surf Telecom, to submit reports within 30 days to trace the origins of the irregular traffic.