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Fraud in Brazil: 2.26 million scam reports in 2025 and what to do
Brazil's 2026 Public Security Yearbook logged 2.26 million fraud reports in 2025, 258 an hour. Which states lead, why few cases reach court and what to do.
Street robbery is falling in Brazil, but fraud keeps climbing. The 20th Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, published by the Brazilian Forum on Public Security (FBSP) in July 2026, shows fraud (estelionato) has become one of the most reported property crimes in the country.
How many fraud cases did Brazil record in 2025?
Police logged 2,261,055 fraud reports in 2025, according to the Yearbook as reported by Brasil 61. That is about 258 an hour, as Olhar Digital noted.
| Indicator (FBSP Yearbook 2026) | Value |
|---|---|
| Fraud reports, 2025 | 2,261,055 |
| Change vs. prior year | +2.7% |
| Growth since 2018 | +429.8% |
| National rate | 1,059.4 per 100,000 |
| Criminal cases opened | 63,771 |
| People arrested | 4,819 |
The annual change and the case and arrest figures come from BNews. Since 2021 the category also covers electronic fraud: card cloning, WhatsApp impersonation, fake bank calls, fake stores and Pix scams.
Which states have the highest rates?
São Paulo (1,808 per 100,000), the Federal District (1,717), Paraná, Rondônia, Santa Catarina, Espírito Santo and Goiás all topped 1,000 per 100,000. High rates may also reflect easier online reporting and heavier use of digital banking.
How many people are really affected?
An FBSP survey from March 2026 estimated that 15.8% of people aged 16 and over, about 26.3 million, lost money to a scam online or by phone in the previous year. Olhar Digital reports that more than 97% of fraud cases reported to police never reach the courts.
What to do if you were scammed in Brazil
- Call your bank on its official number and ask to block and dispute the transaction; for Pix, request the MED return mechanism (Pix fraud in numbers).
- File a police report online with screenshots and receipts.
- Turn on two-step verification on WhatsApp and email.
- Check accounts opened in your name via the Central Bank's Registrato (guide).
Banks never send couriers to collect cards or ask you to move money to a “safe account” (how the fake bank call works). More in Tips and the Radar.
Why is fraud rising while robbery falls?
The same Yearbook shows phone robberies fell 18.6% in 2025 (phone theft in Brazil). For criminals, a scam carries less physical risk and far more reach: one call or message can hit thousands of people in a day. Digital scams also rely on mule accounts, SIM cards and fake profiles that often cross state lines, which slows investigations. That is why, for victims, acting fast with the bank usually matters more than waiting for police.
How to protect yourself in five minutes
- Distrust urgency: a “relative with a new number,” a deal that is too good, a threat that your account will be blocked.
- Before paying by Pix, check that the recipient's name matches who you think you are paying.
- Set lower Pix limits at night and for new contacts in your banking app.
- Agree on a family code word to confirm requests for help.
Fuente
- Brasil 61 — Anuário: mais de 2,2 milhões de casos de estelionato em 2025
- Olhar Digital — O golpe que mais cresce no Brasil está no seu celular
- BNews — Estelionato bate recorde: 258 golpes por hora
- CNN Brasil — roubos de celulares caem 18,6% em 2025