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Brazil financial fraud: Social engineering accounts for 40% of cases
Social engineering tactics are responsible for 40% of financial fraud indications in Brazil, according to data from Quod. In the first half of 2026, over 9 million fraud cases—both suspected and confirmed—were recorded, marking a 10.26% increase from the second half of 2025. Of these, approximately 3.6 million cases involved social engineering.
Criminals utilize psychological manipulation, such as fake call centers, impersonating bank employees, or staging false police operations, to induce victims into making transfers or revealing sensitive data. Mobile devices were the primary channel for 78% of these scams, while the Pix instant payment system was used in 85% of the fraudulent transactions.
Demographic data shows that young people aged 18 to 34 account for nearly half of the victims (49.06%), and individuals earning up to two minimum wages represent 58% of those affected. The rise of artificial intelligence has further sophisticated these attacks through voice cloning and the creation of realistic forged documents.
Entities
AAMD · Banco Central · Brazil · Certta · José Oliveira · Portugal · Quod
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 18 SOURCES] Mobile phones were used in 78% of fraud cases. gazetaderondonia.com.br · fatopaulista.com.br · freguesianews.com.br · i75.com.br · imprensapublica.com.br · +13 more
- [● 18 SOURCES] Fraud indications increased by 10.26% in the first half of 2026 compared to the second half of 2025. gazetaderondonia.com.br · fatopaulista.com.br · freguesianews.com.br · i75.com.br · imprensapublica.com.br · +13 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] People aged 18 to 34 represent 49.06% of the victims. imprensapublica.com.br
- [● 18 SOURCES] More than 9 million fraud indications were recorded in the first half of 2026. gazetaderondonia.com.br · fatopaulista.com.br · freguesianews.com.br · i75.com.br · imprensapublica.com.br · +13 more
- [● 18 SOURCES] Pix was used as the method for financial movement in 85% of occurrences. gazetaderondonia.com.br · fatopaulista.com.br · freguesianews.com.br · i75.com.br · imprensapublica.com.br · +13 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] People earning up to two minimum wages represent 58% of those affected. imprensapublica.com.br
- [● 18 SOURCES] Social engineering accounts for 40% of financial fraud indications in Brazil. gazetaderondonia.com.br · fatopaulista.com.br · freguesianews.com.br · i75.com.br · imprensapublica.com.br · +13 more