Brazil faces surge in sophisticated digital fraud and scams

Digital fraud in Brazil is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with criminals leveraging artificial intelligence to mimic voices, images, and corporate identities. Recent reports highlight a variety of tactics, including the “fake lawyer” scam, where perpetrators use real judicial process data to convince victims that they have won a lawsuit, only to demand upfront fees via Pix to release the funds. Other common methods include the “fake manager” scam and fraudulent e-commerce schemes initiated through official platform chats.

Data from Cetic.br indicates a significant impact on the population, with approximately 32% of internet users in Brazil, or 45 million people, having faced at least one attempt to steal their personal information. Messaging apps are the most frequent channel for these attacks, cited by 84% of victims.

Vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly, face heightened risks. A diagnostic by Anatel and UNESCO reveals that only 6.99% of Brazilians aged 60 or older adopt digital privacy protection measures. This lack of technical autonomy, combined with the increasing digitalization of banking and social services, exacerbates the risk of financial loss and identity theft.