Pix scam: what to do in the first hours

Pix, Brazil's instant payment system, made transfers immediate, and scammers have taken advantage of that speed too. Victims of fraud need to act just as quickly, because the first hours are decisive in trying to freeze the money.

Notify your bank immediately

Contact your financial institution through its app or official channels and report that you were the victim of a scam. Ask the bank to activate the Special Refund Mechanism (MED), which the Central Bank of Brazil created for these cases. The request can be made up to 80 days after the transfer, but the sooner it is made, the greater the chance that funds are still in the recipient's account. Always write down the reference (protocol) number.

File a police report

The report can be filed online through your state's electronic police station (delegacia eletrônica). Provide the date, time, amount, Pix key and the recipient's details.

Keep all the evidence

Keep the transfer receipts, screenshots of the conversations, phone numbers, profiles and links used in the scam. Do not delete anything, even if the scammer's contact disappears.

The bank's liability

In Precedent 479, Brazil's Superior Court of Justice established that financial institutions are strictly liable for damage caused by fraud committed by third parties in banking operations. This does not mean automatic reimbursement in every case. It is necessary to analyze how the scam occurred, whether the bank failed to block transactions inconsistent with the customer's usual profile and whether its security mechanisms failed.

When to see a lawyer

If the bank refuses the refund or does not respond in time, a lawyer can assess whether to file a complaint with consumer protection agencies or bring the appropriate lawsuit, based on the documents gathered.

Sources: Precedent 479 of the Superior Court of Justice; Central Bank of Brazil regulations on Pix and the Special Refund Mechanism.