Pix was launched by the Central Bank of Brazil in October 2020 and quickly became popular among Brazilians, revolutionizing the payment system with its instant, easy, and uninterrupted functionality. In April of this year, Pix set a new record for transactions in a single day, with 201.6 million operations.
However, this popularity has inevitably attracted fraudsters who exploit people’s vulnerabilities to carry out scams using the platform. Since the system itself is secure, these fraudsters use social engineering methods to deceive users into making transfers to an account that does not match the sender’s real intention.
Precautions to Avoid the Most Common Pix Scam
Fraudsters employ various methods, such as creating fake sales ads, substituting a legitimate QR Code, or posing as an employee of a real company. Nonetheless, some simple precautions can prevent users from falling victim to these scams and should always be observed when making a transaction.
When entering the key into the banking app, whether it is a phone number, email, CPF, Pix copy and paste, or QR Code, it is possible to verify the person or company to whom the transfer will be made. Always be suspicious if you are buying a product or service from a company and the Pix for the transfer is for an individual.
Most companies use payment platforms or their own CNPJ (Corporate Taxpayer ID) as the destination for transfers. If you encounter a Pix intended for an individual while planning to transfer to a company, raise your alert and check through verified official channels if the information is correct.
In some cases, especially when dealing with micro-entrepreneurs or smaller jobs done by a service provider, it may be legitimate for the Pix to be for an individual. In these situations, carefully check if the name that appears as the recipient is the same as the person you negotiated with. If there is a discrepancy, confirm again with the person or someone you trust. With the necessary precautions, Pix can be used completely safely.
Are you suspicious and would like to check if you might be a victim of a scam? StarsPay can help you. Contact us at [email protected], which has a response time of up to 24 business hours.
Check out StarsPay’s video to not fall victim to a scam
