Gifts, promotions, and hurry. The typical Valentine's Day combination boosts commerce, especially in online stores, but also attracts the attention of scammers. According to theIdentity and Fraud Report, from Serasa Experian, more than half of Brazilians (51%) were targeted by scam attempts in 2024. With the increase in digital transactions, extra attention must be paid—especially during seasonal dates, such as June 12th, which concentrate a large volume of sales in a short period of time.
"Valentine's Day is one of the strongest dates in retail, and this causes digital criminals to take advantage of the movement to carry out scams," explains Adilson Neves, Commercial Director of thePaytime, fintech specializing in digital payments. He points out that there are cases where the loss falls on the retailers: "In online purchases made with cloned cards, for example, the store can be held financially responsible for chargebacks."
The most recent survey of theAxurshows that the exposure of credit and debit cards increased 26 times in 2024, while the number of leaked credentials grew 13 times compared to the previous year. Adilson's main recommendation for retailers is to work with payment solutions that offer anti-fraud systems, enhanced authentication (such as 3DS), and automated behavioral analysis. Today, technology allows for real-time identification of suspicious patterns. If a store usually sells products for R$ 70 and a transaction of R$ 2,000 appears, the system already issues an alert. This protects both the retailer and the consumer.
For those who sell through social media — a common practice among small entrepreneurs — using payment links with authentication and encryption is a secure way to receive payments for transactions.
For passionate consumers who will be giving gifts on the date, the recommendation is not to be carried away by impulse. Last-minute promotions can hide traps. Scammers use fake ads, messages via WhatsApp, or links sent by email to carry out frauds known as phishing, warns the Paytime director. In 2024, Brazil remained among the countries with the highest incidence of this type of scam, and the number of detected phishing pages alone doubled compared to the previous year, according to Axur.
The specialist also advises checking the store's reputation and verifying if the website has security certificates; using platforms such as thesiteconfiavel.com.brbefore making a purchase, prioritize using the credit card, which allows for transaction disputes and offers additional protection in case of fraud.
"On dates with strong emotional appeal, like Valentine's Day, people are more vulnerable and less attentive. This is precisely the ideal scenario for scammers. The best way to protect yourself is to double your caution," concludes Adilson.
