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Scams in Brazil in numbers · Pix and fake boleto

Pix and fake boleto scams

The boleto looks real, but the money goes to the scammer's account. With Pix, the key or the QR code is swapped. And a screenshot of a receipt does not prove the money arrived.

R$ 1,198

is what each victim of a Pix or fake boleto scam lost on average

Jul 2024 to Jun 2025 · Source: Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública e Datafolha

14.3%

of Brazilians aged 16 or older lost money to a Pix or fake boleto scam

Jul 2024 to Jun 2025 · Source: Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública e Datafolha

R$ 28.8 billion

lost to Pix or fake boleto scams, as the survey estimates

Jul 2024 to Jun 2025 · Source: Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública e Datafolha

42.9 million

people, as the survey estimates, had a scam attempt asking for a Pix or a boleto payment

Jul 2024 to Jun 2025 · Source: Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública e Datafolha

How it works

  1. The scammer sends a fake boleto by message or e-mail, or swaps the Pix key or the QR code of a bill.
  2. In another version, they say they sent you a Pix by mistake and ask you to send it back.
  3. They can also send a screenshot of a receipt for a payment that never happened.
  4. Pix arrives at once, so the money leaves the scammer's account fast.

How to spot it

  • The name that shows when you pay is not the name of who billed you.
  • A boleto you did not expect arrives by message.
  • Someone asks you to return a Pix "sent by mistake".
  • The only proof that they paid is a screenshot.

What to do

  • Before you pay, check the name and the bank on the screen.
  • Check in your bank app that the money arrived. A screenshot does not prove payment.
  • Got a Pix by mistake? Return it only with the refund button in the bank app, never to another key.
  • Fell for it? Talk to your bank at once and ask for MED, the Pix refund mechanism. Then file a police report.

How Bipe helps

Bipe is made so you know who is on the other side. Not everything is ready: each item shows where it stands on iPhone and Android.

A pause before paying

On a suspicious money request, copy and pay stay locked for 5 seconds, to break the scam's rush.

iPhone: Coming soon · Android: Coming soon

Scam warnings

A warning shows under a message that looks like a scam, such as a rushed Pix, a new number or a boleto. It is on by default, with nothing to set up.

iPhone: In the test app · Android: In development

Bipe only protects the chats that happen in Bipe. If someone in the family still uses another app, a scammer can write to them there.

Other common scams

Scams in Brazil in numbers

Where these numbers come from

Researched on 12 October 2026. We only use numbers that have a source. Surveys by a company or a private association are marked as such.