Brazil reports surge in extortion and Pix-related fraud

Brazil is seeing various criminal incidents involving extortion and Pix-related fraud. In the Distrito Federal, the TJDFT upheld the conviction of a woman who simulated her own kidnapping to extort R$ 5,000 from her partner using a fake social media account and photos of herself gagged.

In Mato Grosso, a 27-year-old man was arrested in Jaciara for using scheduled Pix transfers to deceive merchants and steal goods. Similarly, in Ceará, a 22-year-old woman was caught in flagrante for sending fake Pix receipts to a makeup store in Cascavel.

Legal developments regarding these crimes are also emerging. The Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) ruled that extortion admits a attempted form if the victim does not perform any act following the threat. Additionally, courts in São Paulo have held banks liable for failing to detect atypical, high-value transactions that fall outside a client's usual profile, characterizing it as a service failure. In Natal, a criminal judge's wife was held hostage for 30 minutes and forced to transfer R$ 5,000 via Pix before being released unharmed.