The period leading up to Father's Day 2025 raises an alert for consumers and businesses in Brazilian e-commerce. According to an unprecedented survey by Serasa Experian, the first and largest datatech company in Brazil and a leader in anti-fraud solutions, almost 90,000 (87,557) attempted fraud incidents were recorded in e-commerce sites between July 27 and August 10, the fifteen days preceding the holiday. This figure equates to approximately 6,000 incidents per day or one attempt every 15 seconds.
The volume represented almost 4% of all fraud attempts recorded throughout 2025, reinforcing how commercially appealing holidays can be exploited by criminals, who take advantage of the increase in online shopping, the search for promotions, and consumers' urgency in choosing gifts. The fraud risk observed during the period was 1.1%, meaning that for every 100 transactions analyzed in e-commerce, just over one showed signs of attempted fraud.
“Holidays boost digital retail and create important opportunities for businesses and consumers, but they also increase exposure to scams and fraud. Fraudsters often take advantage of the higher volume of access, the rush to buy, and the search for deals to try to bypass security systems. Therefore, prevention needs to be present throughout the entire journey, from user identification to transaction approval,” says Rodrigo Sanchez, Director of Authentication and Fraud Prevention at Serasa Experian.
In addition to the volume of occurrences, the survey shows that fraudulent attempts had a higher average value than legitimate purchases. The average ticket price for fraud was R$ 989.83, while that of legitimate transactions was R$ 547.53. The difference indicates that attempted fraud had a value 80.8% higher.
See tips from Serasa Experian for consumers to avoid fraud in online purchases:
• Be wary of offers with prices significantly below the market average;
• Verify that the website or app actually belongs to the official store;
• Avoid clicking on links received via SMS, email, messaging apps, or social media;
• Check the store's reputation before entering personal or banking information;
• Use virtual cards for online purchases whenever possible;
• Do not share passwords, authentication codes, or card details;
• Monitor your CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID) frequently to identify suspicious activity.
Check out these recommendations for companies to strengthen their digital security:
• Invest in layered fraud prevention solutions;
• Combine registration analysis, authentication, biometrics, document validation, and device intelligence;
• Monitor suspicious behavior throughout the entire purchase journey;
• Review anti-fraud rules before holidays and peak traffic periods;
• Reduce friction for legitimate customers without compromising security;
• Use data and technology to anticipate risks and protect transactions in real time.
