Brazilians are losing more money to digital fraud. The average loss per victim, reported among consumers who said they lost money due to digital fraud (online, email, phone, and text messages), reached R$ 10,699 — about 6.6 minimum wages — according to research by TransUnion®, a global information and insights company that operates as a DataTech.
The data is part of the TransUnion H1 2026 Update of the Key Fraud Trends Report, which included a global survey¹ of 12,730 consumers in 18 countries and regions and highlights how digital fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated.
The result represents a significant change compared to the previous survey, when the average loss was R$ 6,311; that is, the average loss due to digital fraud increased by 60%. The average consumer loss in Brazil is also above the globally reported average of USD $1,671², equivalent to R$ 9,307.
The research also revealed that 41% of Brazilians said they had been the target of digital fraud attempts in the most recent update. Despite this, a significant portion of consumers say they were not affected, which may indicate a possible underestimation of fraudulent approaches, especially in social engineering scams – where criminals manipulate people to obtain data or trigger financial transfers.
Vishing emerges as the most frequently reported cause of fraud-related losses among consumers
In this scenario, vishing – fraudulent phone calls that trick consumers into revealing personal information – was cited by 32% of respondents as the biggest cause of financial loss due to fraud. The practice involves simulating legitimate contacts from financial institutions or companies to deceive consumers.
The rate exceeds the global average of 23%, indicating greater vulnerability in the Brazilian market to this type of crime. Furthermore, according to the report, schemes using "straw men" to move illegal money were the second most reported cause of money loss due to digital fraud (19%), followed by account hacking (ATO) at 18%.
The result reinforces the idea that many current scams exploit the human factor, using techniques of persuasion, urgency, and trust to obtain sensitive data or induce financial transfers.
“Today, fraud disguises itself as legitimate contact and speaks to the victim as if it were a trustworthy company,” says Wallace Massola, Head of Fraud Prevention Solutions at TransUnion Brazil.
“Digital fraud has become more professionalized: today, criminals sound legitimate, gain the victim's trust, and attack where the loss is greatest. With social engineering and artificial intelligence, fraudsters can escalate their approaches, adapt their discourse, and appear legitimate much more quickly – and this helps explain why the loss per victim is higher,” adds Massola.
Brazil remains above the regional average in digital fraud
According to proprietary data from TransUnion's global intelligence network, the rate of suspected digital fraud attempts³ analyzed in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico was 2.7% in 2025. However, Brazil recorded a rate of 3.8%, placing it above the average of the Latin American countries analyzed and among the top three markets, along with Nicaragua (12.5%) and the Dominican Republic (6.5%).
“Fraud prevention has advanced, but Brazil is still far from being a comfortable scenario. Although investments are contributing to a slight reduction in suspected fraudulent transactions across the region, the country still operates above average, reinforcing that the challenge remains relevant and requires constant attention,” concludes Massola.
Methodology
TransUnion reached its conclusions based on a global survey conducted from November 20 to December 9, 2025. One thousand people were surveyed in Brazil from November 20 to December 5, 2025, as part of the global survey.
To learn more about how TransUnion's fraud prevention solutions can help businesses avoid fraud and prevent fraud losses, click here.
Specific country and region data in the report include Brazil, Botswana, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Rwanda, Zambia, and the United Kingdom and the United States.
Download the 2026 Fraud Trends Report | TransUnion for more information and insights on global fraud trends
