Brazil records record surge in financial scams and fraud losses

Brazil financial scams golpe da maquininha romance fraud estelionato

Brazil logged an unprecedented wave of fraud in 2025, with 2,261,055 estelionato cases – the highest since 2018 – and digital fraud incidents rising 20.6% to 346,753 cases. The “golpe da maquininha” alone generated a loss of R$4.8 billion in 2024, affecting over 2 million victims at an average of four per minute.

Scams targeting individuals have also spiked. A 65‑year‑old woman in Mato Grosso lost R$4.6 k in a romance‑Pix fraud, while a resident of Porto Velho was defrauded of about R$45 k in a “love‑scam” that led to the suspect’s arrest in Espírito Santo. Older adults and low‑income users are especially vulnerable; the Global Anti‑Scam Alliance reports that 81 % of Brazilians have faced phone‑based fraud attempts.

Financial institutions are responding. Nubank provides 24/7 app‑chat support and security tools, and Android smartphones now include built‑in spam‑call filters to block fraudulent calls and messages. Authorities continue to advise using only official bank contact numbers and to report scams promptly.

Entities

Brazil · Comando Vermelho (CV) · Global Anti‑Scam Alliance · Golpe da Maquininha · Itaú Unibanco · Mato Grosso · Nubank · Porto Velho · Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) · Santa Catarina · Santander

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Santander led recent branch reductions among private banks.
[● 2 SOURCES] 81 % of Brazilians have been targeted by phone‑based fraud attempts, according to the Global Anti‑Scam Alliance. canaltech.com.br · atarde.com.br
[○ 1 SOURCE] The five largest Brazilian banks posted a combined net profit of R$124 billion in 2025.
[○ 1 SOURCE] A woman in Porto Velho lost about R$45 000 in a 'love‑scam' extortion; the suspect was arrested in Espírito Santo. www.juruaemtempo.com.br
[○ 1 SOURCE] In 2025 Brazil recorded 2,261,055 estelionato cases, the highest number in the series since 2018. www.enfoquems.com.br
[○ 1 SOURCE] Between 2024 and 2025 Brazil lost 1,345 bank branches, a 37 % reduction since 2015.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Mato Grosso had the fourth‑highest electronic fraud rate in Brazil in 2025, with 593.8 cases per 100 000 inhabitants. www.sonoticias.com.br
[○ 1 SOURCE] Santa Catarina posted the highest virtual estelionato rate in Brazil in 2025, with 917.3 cases per 100 000 inhabitants. ndmais.com.br
[● 2 SOURCES] The 'golpe da maquininha' generated R$4.8 billion in losses in Brazil in 2024 with over 2 million cases reported. blog.nubank.com.br · www.cnnbrasil.com.br
[○ 1 SOURCE] Nubank provides 24/7 support via the app’s chat feature. institutobmfbovespa.org.br
[○ 1 SOURCE] The scam caused an average of four victims per minute. blog.nubank.com.br
[○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 50 % of Brazilian consumers (about 18.8 million) reported experiencing fraud or attempted fraud in a 2025 survey. www.cnnbrasil.com.br