November marked the fifth consecutive month of 2024 in which Brazil surpassed 1 million scam prevention efforts, totaling 1,020,304 cases — an occurrence every 2.5 seconds and a 14.2% increase compared to the same period in 2023. The data is from theFraud Attempt Indicatorfrom Serasa Experian, the first and largest datatech in Brazil.
"Digital fraud poses an increasing risk to consumers and businesses, and our goal is to strengthen security at every stage of the journey," emphasizes Caio Rocha, Director of Authentication and Fraud Prevention at Serasa Experian. "The technologies we use to identify fraudulent patterns and prevent scams have been essential for companies to detect attempts before causing losses," she adds.
More than half of fraud attempts are detected by inconsistencies in registration information
In the view by attempt modality, more than half (56%) of the occurrences were identified due to inconsistencies in registration information, which include discrepancies between the data provided by users and the information recorded in reliable or official databases, such as CPF, address, date of birth, or financial history. Rocha explains that "these inconsistencies often indicate attempts to create false identities, manipulate existing data, or use third-party information fraudulently."
Furthermore, fraudulent patterns related to document authenticity and biometric validation accounted for 36.7% of occurrences, while device verification contributed 7.3%, reinforcing the need for integrated solutions to combat different types of fraud.
Banks and Cards accounted for more than 50% of fraud attempts
In the total number of fraud attempts prevented in November, the "Banks and Cards" segment led as the criminals' preferred target (52.7%), while "Retail" had the lowest incidence (2.1%). Regarding age groups, citizens between 36 and 50 years old were the most targeted for scams, accounting for 33.3% of cases.
State view: drop in monthly variation in all Federative Units (UFs)
Even in November 2024, the Serasa Experian Fraud Attempt Indicator revealed that all Federal Units (UF) experienced a decrease in investigations compared to the previous month. The largest was in Santa Catarina (-4.1%). Still, the volume-based view indicated that the states of the South and Southeast remained in the crosshairs of the coup plotters.
Federal District: rate of occurrences per million inhabitants above the national average
Despite the decrease in the total volume of frauds across all Federal Units (FUs), the attempt rate per million inhabitants remains concerning, exceeding 4,700 records per million. The Federal District led the ranking with more than 7,000 occurrences per million inhabitants, followed by São Paulo, Mato Grosso, and five other states that also exceeded the national average.
"Combining anti-fraud solutions without impacting the user experience and adding consumer awareness is essential so that we can increasingly inhibit the actions of scammers and protect the digital identities of individuals and company operations," emphasizes Rocha. According to the director, it is necessary to continue investing in technology and awareness to combat fraud.
