From January to June this year, the Central Bank recorded 739,145 references to crimes involving its popular instant payment system PIX. In the same period of 2021, there were 25,330. In other words, an explosion of 2,818% in 2022 compared to last year.
The figures show that the total number of crimes through the mechanism has increased as offenses related to PIX, which was introduced in November 2020, have jumped.
The number of instant transfers increased from 29.5 million in the first month after launch to 1.6 billion in June 2022.
Cases of people being robbed with unlocked cell phones are increasing in major cities – not to get their phones, but to access their bank accounts.
Specialized gangs have infiltrated banking applications to make transfers, adding to the losses of those who have lost their phones.
Robbery and extortion via PIX have become a “fad” in the criminal world. It is the result of a change in the behavior of the market.
At the end of 2021, the president of the Central Bank, Roberto Campos Neto, initiated a series of changes to PIX to make it more difficult for criminals to act. On the list: Functions to limit transfer times and values. According to him, the payment tool enables the detection of stolen money.
However, in hijackings, criminals usually use orange accounts to receive the money and pass it on to others.
It is becoming increasingly important to know what to do in the event of a robbery or theft of cell phones and how to avoid becoming a target of this type of crime.
Febraban (Brazilian Banking Association) and the Tax Authority have warned the population about new technology scams and have given tips.
Nevertheless, the percentage of violations with PIX reached 0.01% of all transactions through the payment system in June. The percentage has increased. It was 11 times lower than a year ago: 0.00092%.
In a statement, the Central Bank said that the reports were optional for institutions until November 2021. Previously, they used their anti-fraud mechanisms and did not have all incidents registered by the monetary authority.