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Brazil: Rise in digital financial scams including quishing and fake bank attendants
Financial institutions and law enforcement in Brazil are warning of a surge in sophisticated digital scams. The Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) has highlighted ‘quishing’, a fraud where criminals use adulterated QR codes to divert Pix and boleto payments. These fraudulent codes are often placed as stickers over legitimate ones in physical locations like restaurants and parking lots, or embedded in fake e-commerce sites and printed documents.
Other prevalent schemes include the ‘fake bank attendant’ scam, where criminals use clandestine call centers to impersonate bank employees, often using leaked data to create a sense of urgency regarding suspicious transactions. Additionally, the ‘fake motoboy’ tactic involves criminals attempting to collect physical bank cards from victims' homes under the guise of replacing compromised cards.
Authorities report various individual incidents, including WhatsApp account hijacking via fake promotional messages and scams involving fraudulent INSS indemnity claims. Legal experts note that while banks may be held liable for fraud in cases involving security failures or data leaks, responsibility depends on the specific circumstances of each case.
Entities
Brazil · Civil Police · Civil Police of São Paulo · FEBRABAN · INSS · Mercado Livre · Presidente Venceslau · Public Security Secretariat of São Paulo · Raphael Mielle · Segredo
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Fake boletos can be distributed via WhatsApp, email, and SMS. jcce.com.br
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Brazilian Consumer Defense Code was established by Law No. 8.078/1990. revistanovafamilia.com.br
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Banks may be held liable for fraud if security failures or data leaks are identified. jcce.com.br
- [● 3 SOURCES] Criminals may place fake QR code stickers over original codes in physical establishments. news.folhadoprogresso.com.br · brasilemfolhas.com.br · olhardigital.com.br
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Suppliers generally have up to 30 days to resolve a product defect. revistanovafamilia.com.br
- [● 3 SOURCES] The ‘quishing’ scam involves using adulterated QR codes to divert payments. news.folhadoprogresso.com.br · brasilemfolhas.com.br · olhardigital.com.br