During the five days of Carnival, from March 1 to 5, Serasa Experian, the first and largest datatech in Brazil, estimates the occurrence of 182,154 fraud attempts involving documents, personal information and mobile devices. If successful, these steps could generate a loss of R$ 1,019,699,175.48 for consumers and companies. The festive period, marked by the high volume of transactions, is one of the most critical for scams, making it essential to adopt more stringent preventive measures.
“In periods of great economic movement, such as Carnival, criminals take advantage of the increase in transactions to apply various types of scams. With the digitization of payments and the popularization of digital wallets, fraud attempts have been growing significantly. Both consumers and companies must redouble their attention to avoid financial losses. The best defense against these crimes is to adopt safe practices and stay informed. With security and awareness technologies, it is possible to minimize these negative impacts during the” revel, warns the Director of Authentication and Fraud Prevention Serasa Rocha Experian, Caio.
According to the Fraud Attempts Indicator, released monthly by datatech, an attempted coup was recorded every 2.4 seconds in March 2024. The month was also the first of the year to surpass 1 million fraud attempts, evidencing the intensification of criminal activity in the period.
Here are some essential tips for consumers:
. Ensure that your documents, mobile phones and cards are well-guarded and secure, with strong passwords for access to applications;
Do not provide passwords or access codes outside the bank or application site;
^be careful with cards in face-to-face purchases, avoiding exchange when making payments in bars, restaurants and street vendors;
Always check the card after the transaction and protect the password when entering it;
Maintain cell phone security with biometrics and two-step authentication;
. Check the reputation of stores and websites before making any purchases, and provide your personal information and card details only if you are sure that this is a safe environment;
uddepend on offers with very high discounts or that require advance payments;
be careful with links shared in groups of social media messages or SMS;
Do not lend or sell your data;
Do not make transfers to friends or relatives without confirming by phone or in person that it is really the person in question, because the contact of the person may have been cloned or falsified;
Create secure passwords and update them frequently;
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^Use only secure payment methods and enable two-step authentication whenever possible.
For businesses, the recommendations are:
2 In an increasingly digital and interconnected business environment where fraud is evolving and expanding rapidly, invest in layered fraud prevention technologies to protect the integrity and security of your business operations; and
Ensure the quality and veracity of data from fraud prevention solutions from solutions that constantly improve in the face of changes and threats of fraud;
''Intend deeply your user profile and constantly seek to minimize friction points in your digital journey, ensuring a fluid experience and without compromising security.
^Use fraud prevention as a lever to generate revenue by implementing intelligent solution orchestration that maximizes security, reduces losses, and enables a more agile and reliable shopping experience for the customer.
Methodology
Serasa Experian estimated the risk of fraud in Carnival 2025 from data from the same period in 2024, when an attempt at fraud occurred every 2.4 seconds.
