Brazil: WhatsApp scams target individuals and businesses

Criminals in Brazil are utilizing WhatsApp to carry out various fraudulent schemes targeting individuals and business owners.

In Barretos, a 66-year-old man was defrauded of R$ 3,178.00 after an individual impersonated his son. The scammer claimed to have back pain and requested help paying bank slips (boletos) due to a blocked password. After the victim paid two separate amounts, the perpetrator deleted the links used to facilitate the transaction.

In Sorriso, micro-entrepreneurs and business owners are being targeted by extortion attempts involving false notifications of tax debts or contractual irregularities. Scammers send messages via WhatsApp containing links to fake payment pages designed to look like official government sites. In response, the local Secretariat of Economic Development, Science, Technology, Innovation, and Tourism has issued a public alert, advising citizens to never pay via WhatsApp links and to verify all municipal debts through official, in-person channels.