Koin research reveals that tampered pix and fake profiles of carnival stores lead the scams in carnival

Carnival is one of the most anticipated moments of the year, but also a period of high risk for fraud and theft. A recent survey by fintech Koin revealed that 90% of respondents have already had their cell phone stolen during the carnival.

The survey identified that 18,4% of respondents have already been victims of scams or fraud during the carnival. The most common scams include Pix or QR code tampered with adding 46,4%, fake profiles selling carnival products or services has 35,7%, card cloning or improper charges in transport 21,4%, mobile phone theft followed by access to bank accounts or cloning of WhatsApp 17,9%, fake tickets 14,3% and scams on accommodations, such as false ads or improper hosting 107.

The financial losses also draw attention: 28.6% of the victims lost between R$ 100 and R$ 500, 21.4% had a loss above R$ 1,000 and only 17.9% managed to avoid financial losses. 

“In the midst of the growing number of cyber scams, it is essential to strengthen awareness about digital security. Investing in consistent and continuous educational campaigns is an essential strategy to reduce these risks and protect users,”, says Gabriela Jubram, Head of Marketing at Koin.

Despite the scams and potential threats associated with cell phone use during carnival, driven by the high flow of people, 72% of revelers claim to adopt fraud protection measures, 12.5% do so occasionally and only 15.1% remain vulnerable, making them easy targets for criminals.

Koin's survey points out that 15.1% of respondents say they sometimes take precautions at carnival; while 12.5% do not usually worry about fraud. 

Celebrities who protect themselves against carnival fraud adopt different strategies: 66,4% of respondents avoid providing personal or bank data to strangers; 51,3% do not withdraw money at cash machines near events, 46% enable two-factor authentication on mobile and in banking applications and 36,8% check QR codes before making payments and verify the authenticity of hosting ads. 

In addition, 68,4% avoid taking the phone out of pocket in busy locations; 53,9% enable device tracking; 44,7% use strong passwords and biometrics for unlocking; and 32,9% disable Pix or reduce transactional limits on days of revelry.

Still, there is a risk of theft and theft.In the survey, participants were asked what actions they take in case of theft or cell phone theft. Of the total respondents, 34.9% said they register a police report, another 34.9% block the device remotely; while 22.4% prefer to prioritize the bank's warning to block transactions and avoid financial losses. 

The survey also assessed the perception of security of revelers on digital payments in the party period.The survey shows that 38,2% avoid making digital payments as much as possible, 34,9% feel very safe when paying digitally; 19,7% feel reasonably safe; and only 7,2% consider themselves unsafe when making digital payments.

“Because of the high concentration of people in the blocks and typical events, carnival has become a critical period for scams and frauds. Financial and digital education is essential for people to enjoy the party without losses. The use of good security practices, such as the use of strong passwords, facial biometrics and access control to applications, can reduce fraud and ensure more peace of mind for the” revelers, says the executive.

The survey was conducted in the first half of February and heard 250 people in all regions of Brazil, with multiple choice questions.