There are many scam approaches, but the objectives are almost always the same: obtain data from victims and profit through financial transactions. According to the National Federation of Banks (Febraban), there are everything from scams in which criminals use phone calls to get in touch, to emails and app messages through social engineering. To do this, they use techniques to trick the individual into providing confidential information, such as passwords and card numbers.
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Director of Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team for Latin America, Fabio Assolini explains that criminals are attentive to events and trends that create opportunities to attract more victims. He also highlights that frauds are becoming increasingly sophisticated, especially due to Brazilian creativity:
— Brazilian criminals are one of the most inventive on the planet, and this is seen in the number of scams and new developments that emerge daily, some of which are very well structured and difficult to recognize — he says.
Assolini adds that among the criminals’ favorite topics when approaching victims are issues related to money and popular commotion. Examples are: FGTS withdrawals, job offers and promotions that are too good to be true. Therefore, it is important to always be aware.
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— Regardless of the device, it is important to be aware of what you access and have a good security system that can warn you if you are accessing a malicious link — assesses the expert.
To help the reader protect themselves against scam attempts, EXTRA has prepared a list of the main frauds. Check out:
0800 scam
In this type of scam, criminals pretend to be financial institutions and send messages to victims, warning them about a suspicious transaction of high value. They ask the person to contact the call center that appears with a 0800 number. In addition, they also make telephone calls with a recording simulating the institutions’ Audible Response Units (URAs).
When the victim gets in touch, the scammer says that the transaction does not appear on the customer’s invoice, as it is under analysis. To cancel the false transaction, the individual is tricked into making a transaction or providing personal data, such as an account number and password.
How to avoid
The National Federation of Banks (Febraban) advises that calls should not be made to telephone numbers (0800) received via messages. If in doubt, get in touch through the bank’s official channels or speak directly to your manager.
Income Tax Scam
Days after the deadline for submitting the Income Tax declaration began, the Federal Revenue Service warned that fake applications posing as official agency platforms are circulating in device stores. Through the app, personal data such as full name, CPF, address, sources of income, investments, assets and others are requested.
Despite the visual similarity with the legitimate application, fraudulent apps steal the data provided by the user. With the information, it is difficult to prove that he was not the one who carried out a transaction or authorized a purchase, for example.
How to avoid
The main way to protect yourself is to download or access the direct link on the Federal Revenue website. The user must also be careful when downloading the application, checking who its developer is, the number of downloads carried out and the reviews.
Bill scam
A tool to update the barcode, with interest, of late bills and allow online payment is used by criminals to edit the Pix QR Code and the barcode, which direct payments to orange accounts. The only way to avoid theft is to notice the change in the recipient’s name at the time of payment and not make it.
How to avoid
You need to be careful when paying, as data from a random person will be shown, instead of the supplier company’s data. In the case of automatic debit, the suggestion is that consumers check whether the details of the bill to be paid are the same as those displayed in internet banking in the “DDA” function.
Furthermore, one option is to activate the tool in email, to prevent criminals from unauthorized access to email and, consequently, to invoices.
Task scam
Through messaging applications, criminals pose as an employee of a digital marketing company who is selecting interested parties to work online. They offer victims an opportunity to earn quick and easy money in exchange for performing simple tasks on the internet — liking photos, making comments and following company accounts on social media.
Upon accepting the proposal, the participant is included in a message group. In the beginning, the user completes the tasks, and the scammer even deposits money into the victim’s account to generate credibility, but always in low amounts. After a while, the criminal says that it is necessary to pay to be able to participate, with the promise that the participant will get his money back on the same day — which does not happen.
How to avoid
Febraban advises that people should always be suspicious of job offers that require payment or promises of exaggerated benefits. Furthermore, the institution says that transactions with the purpose of securing an opportunity or business should not be made.
WhatsApp cloning scam
The criminal sends a message through the app pretending to be a company where the victim is registered. The victim is then asked to provide a security code, which has already been sent, stating that it is an update, maintenance or registration confirmation. With this, they manage to replicate the WhatsApp account and send messages to the person’s contacts, asking to borrow money as if they were the victim.
How to avoid
Febraban advises never to enter your WhatsApp security code. Another measure to prevent cloning is to enable the “Two-step verification” option in the app. See the step by step:
- iOS – Settings > Account > Two-step confirmation > Enable > Create a 6-digit PIN password
- Android – Settings > Account > Two-step confirmation > Activate
Social engineering scam with WhatsApp
The criminal takes photos of the victim on social networks and discovers their contacts. With a new cell phone number, he sends messages to friends and family saying he needs to change numbers. He then requests a transfer using the excuse of being in some emergency situation.
How to avoid
Febraban warns that it is necessary to be very careful with the exposure of data on social networks, such as, for example, in sweepstakes and promotions that ask for the user’s telephone number. When receiving a message from a contact with a new number, the recommendation is for the individual to make sure of the change and not carry out any transaction until speaking to the person requesting the money.
Sockfoot Scam
Fake pages charge undue amounts to register with Pé de Meia. However, the federal government program, which combats school dropout, does not require registration or registration from beneficiaries nor does it charge a fee for this. Although the site’s configurations and design are similar to those of an official government channel, the electronic address comes without the “.gov.br”.
How to avoid
The main recommendation for identifying scams related to federal services is to check the electronic address: official websites of federal government agencies generally end with “.gov.br”; already the address for and these fraudulent sites do not have this domain.
In addition, a student’s eligibility for the program is done automatically, by crossing data transmitted by public educational institutions about their students and information from Bolsa Família and not through registration on a page.
Phishing scam
In this scam, criminals send emails or messages pretending to be banks. In the messages, they state that the customer’s account is irregular, that the card has exceeded its limit, talk about updating the token or even about the need to install new security software. They also happen on messaging apps, social networks that trick users into clicking on malicious links and fake pages on the internet that trick people into entering passwords or providing personal data.
How to avoid
Always check that the page address is correct in the browser bar. Do not click on links or attachments in emails from unknown senders. To be sure, type the official address of the page you want to access directly into your browser.
Prefer to buy from well-known websites and never use public computers to buy something online. When receiving calls or messages, do not pass on any code provided to another person to authenticate any operation, warns Febraban.
FGTS total withdrawal scam
Fake websites have announced that general withdrawals from the Service Time Guarantee Fund (FGTS) have been released. The message, however, is bait for scams. Interaction with these pages generally leads to a chat bot that simulates an official service to obtain the benefit and, therefore, requests personal data from the victims. The information is used by criminals to obtain financial advantages.
How to avoid
Always consult the brand’s official communication. Furthermore, be sure to check the company’s official website and even call self-service to clarify any doubts. Do not provide personal information, especially banking information, if you are not sure of its veracity.
Remote access or ghost hand scam
In this scam, the criminal contacts the victim posing as a bank employee. To do this, he uses several approaches to deceive the customer and sends a link to install an application that will solve the supposed problem. The app is, in fact, malware that will give access to the cell phone.
How to avoid
According to Febraban, the bank never requests the installation of an application on your cell phone for supposed account regularization.
