Fraud in Brazil is advancing towards a new target: young people. According to the Fraud Attempt Indicator from Serasa Experian, Brazil’s first and largest datatech, the number of scams targeting individuals aged 25 and under grew by 50.2% in April 2025 compared to the same period last year. The shift in criminals’ focus reveals a dynamic in attack strategies that now target highly connected profiles with less financial history. The survey also indicates that the country recorded 1,101,410 fraud attempts in the month, equivalent to one every 2.4 seconds—a volume that has remained above 1 million since January.
“Overall, fraud attempts continue to evolve rapidly, driven by technologies like artificial intelligence and the sophistication of social engineering tactics. It’s no longer just about volume but the quality of scams,” highlights Caio Rocha, Director of Authentication and Fraud Prevention at Serasa Experian. “In this scenario, adopting layered anti-fraud strategies is essential. Integrated solutions that operate at different stages of the digital journey allow for more precise identification of suspicious behavior and preventive action, reducing risks before fraud even occurs. Additionally, continuous consumer awareness is crucial, as they remain prime targets for scammers,” he adds.
Check the chart below for the monthly evolution of fraud attempts over the last 12 months:
Economically active adults remained the primary focus of scammers. In April, the age group of 36 to 50 was the most affected by fraud attempts, accounting for one-third (33%) of detected cases. Next were the groups aged 26 to 35 (26.3%) and those aged 25 and under (15%).
However, compared to April 2024, the highest proportional growth was recorded among the youngest: the share of victims aged 25 and under increased by 50.2%, revealing a concerning trend of expanding fraud reach among individuals with less credit history or prior exposure. The age groups of 26 to 35 and 36 to 50 also showed significant increases of 38.2% and 26.8%, respectively.
“The significant growth in fraud among the youngest raises an important alarm. This group, often with little credit history and less familiarity with digital traps, has become a new strategic target for scammers. Fraud protection must start early, with access to information and digital education, along with monitoring tools and constant process reviews by companies at every stage of the journey to ensure layered protection—from customer registration to purchase,” says Caio Rocha, Director of Authentication and Fraud Prevention at Serasa Experian.
Among older demographics, the share of those aged 51 to 60 grew by 21.1%, while the group over 60 saw an 11.7% increase in the period, reinforcing that, although with lower total volume, fraudsters continue targeting profiles more vulnerable in terms of digital experience or access to information.
Banks remain the primary target for scammers, but Telecommunications led in annual growth
The Banking and Cards sector continued to lead Brazil’s fraud attempt ranking, accounting for 54.2% of records in April 2025. Next were Services (30.9%), Financial Institutions (7.2%), Telecommunications (5.8%), and Retail (1.9%).
All segments saw increases compared to April 2024, with Telecommunications showing the highest jump: a 61.1% growth in fraud attempts. Banking and Cards grew by 32.9%, while Services increased by 23.9%. Financial Institutions and Retail saw rises of 19% and 9.5%, respectively.
Frauds with manipulated data at registration represent over half of prevented attempts
In terms of modality, most fraudulent attempts were identified due to registration inconsistencies (52.1%) in April 2025. This category includes discrepancies in personal data provided during registration, such as CPF, name, address, or phone number, which do not match reliable sources or show signs of manipulation.
Alerts related to document authenticity and biometric verification, responsible for 39.9% of prevented attempts, came in second. Lastly, suspicious device behaviors, such as access from equipment linked to previous fraud attempts or anomalous browsing patterns, accounted for 8% of blocked frauds in the period.
Southeast accounts for nearly half of frauds, but North leads in proportional growth
The Southeast region remained the epicenter of fraud attempts in the country, with 521,451 occurrences in April 2025, representing 47.3% of the national total. The ranking continued with Northeast (246,550), South (177,351), North (79,431), and Central-West (76,627). Despite this, when examining annual variation by region, the North led in proportional growth, with a 38.3% increase in fraud attempts compared to the same month the previous year. The Northeast also showed strong growth (+33.7%), particularly in states like Amazonas (+42.2%), Pará (+41.4%), and Maranhão (+38.9%).
The state of São Paulo led in monthly records, with 301,195 occurrences, followed by Rio de Janeiro (104,117) and Minas Gerais (96,161). On the other end, Roraima (2,290) and Amapá (3,176) had the lowest absolute volumes, though both saw significant increases compared to April 2024—39.3% and 36.1%, respectively.
Despite already concentrating high volumes, the Southeast (+29.9%) and Central-West (+27.3%) also saw relevant growth. The South, though with the lowest variation rates, still recorded a 23.1% increase, highlighted by Paraná, which totaled over 70,000 occurrences in the month.
See below a chart with the number of fraud attempts by state and a table with the annual variation:
In a population-proportional analysis, the Federal District had the highest fraud attempt rate in April 2025, with 7,759 occurrences per million inhabitants. Next were the states of São Paulo (6,540), Mato Grosso (6,093), and Rio de Janeiro (6,045)—all above the national average of 5,166—and with strong digital presence and high banking penetration, factors that increase exposure to risk.
On the other end, Maranhão (3,105), Roraima (3,123), and Piauí (3,361) recorded the lowest densities, though some of these states showed significant annual increases, indicating a possible trend of fraud spreading inland. Check the chart with complete density information by state:
