Banks and fintechs
Digital accounts opened by who they claim to be, and used by who opened them.
6.9Mfraud attempts in Brazil in the first half of 2025
53.7%of them against banks and card issuers
1 every 2.3 sone attempt
Source: Serasa Experian, indicators as of 09/30/2025.
Where the mule account gets stopped
Scam victimsends a Pix (Brazil's instant payments) transfer
Mule accountopened with someone else's identitystopped at opening: liveness + ID document
Withdrawalthe money disappears
Risks and what addresses each one
- Mule accountAccounts opened with third-party identities to receive money from scams — the target of BCB (Brazil's central bank) Resolution No. 501/2025.
- Bank liabilityUnder Precedent 479 of the STJ (Brazil's Superior Court of Justice), the institution is liable for fraud committed by third parties in its service.
- Legitimate customer blockedA false negative turns into frozen money, support tickets and public complaints.
| Risk | Account opening | Transaction authentication | Account recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mule account | |||
| Bank liability | |||
| Legitimate customer blocked |