Scam: learn how to avoid fake loan fraud – 05/23/2023 – Market

Criminals have created facade websites to apply the fake loan scam, according to an alert from Febraban (Brazilian Federation of Banks) this Tuesday (23). Victims see credit offers with better conditions than those on the market and provide data to show interest in the proposal. In this way, fraudsters define their targets.

Self-employed Mauro Sérgio Cordeiro received a loan offer with advantageous conditions via WhatsApp. The author of the proposal claimed to be a broker at BV Financeira, and asked for an advance to release the borrowed amount. After sending the money, she stopped responding, and Cordeiro was left with a loss of R$ 900.

The fake loan scam can originate from social media, messaging apps, fake websites or phone. The promise of credit with interest that does not exist in the market characterizes this fraud strategy. The perpetrators of the crime can impersonate employees of real institutions.

To get money from the target, criminals ask for installments, fees or taxes in advance. Others seal contracts with fines for giving up business with the victims, and press for payment — threats such as inclusion in lists of defaulters are common.

“There is no loan in which the person has to make any type of advance payment, whether it be taxes, filling out a registration or supposed advances on installments. This type of approach is a coup”, says the director of the Fraud Prevention Committee from Febraban, Adriano Volpini.

The consumer needs, first of all, to verify the origin of the loan offers. The Central Bank website allows you to check whether the mentioned institution is authorized by the Central Bank to offer loans.

Those interested in loans can also obtain information about the business in question on Reclame Aqui, social networks or see if the entity is on the list of disapproved sites by Procon.

Facade sites with forms to collect information are typical of the scam known as phishing – a reference to the verb to fish, in English, since there is a bait. Brazil is among the countries that suffer most from this fraud, according to the cybersecurity company Kaspersky.

Accessing websites of financial entities through reliable and up-to-date devices reduces the chance of a scam, according to the director of Kaspersky’s research team for Latin America, Fabio Assolini.

Using a computer also increases security. Mobile browsers do not always allow viewing of the entire website address. They have even less native protections against phishing attacks.

“If the victim accesses the link from a desktop, the fraudulent page will display a warning saying that it is only available from the smartphone”, says the Kaspersky expert.

Questioned by the report, Febraban was unable to answer how many cases of false loan scams were registered in recent months or the damage caused by the fraud.

On Friday (19), the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro arrested 15 people in the act, for applying the fake payroll loan scam, in the center of Niterói. The accused worked in an office with computers and telephone sets. The structure corresponded to a telemarketing base, says a note from the Civil Police.

The police found dialogue scripts for the execution of the fraud and also documents of the victims – proof of residence, registration data and other evidence of the crimes.

The advisory of the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police states that these operations are frequent. The scam is common and targets, above all, retirees and beneficiaries of government programs with the right to payroll loans.

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HOW TO PREVENT

The Division of Cyber ​​Crimes, of the Civil Police of São Paulo, prepared a booklet with means of preventing scams on the internet. Below are some measures to avoid fake loan fraud:

1. Try to use safe devices;
2. Carefully read the information on the website that offers loans. Fraudulent sites may contain errors in Portuguese and in technical specifications;
3. Search for the CNPJ and address entered on the website;
4. Be wary of very low interest rates;
5. Conduct research on the internet to obtain information about the site’s reputation on the Reclame Aqui platform, on social networks and on the Procon list of bad reputation sites
6. Look for the lock icon to the right of the website address to verify that the page is secure;
7. Check who the payment is made to;
8. Avoid clicking on links that direct navigation directly to the loan site. Prefer to type the website address in the address bar

According to the booklet, fraudulent sites usually have an address very similar to the real site. It is important to pay attention to the subtleties.

I WAS A VICTIM, WHAT TO DO?

a) Check if the website is still active and copy its address;
b) Make a print of the page and the advertised product;
c) Provide copies of the bill, bank details used for payment or transfer. Save the receipts;
d) Look for the Police Station closest to your home or register an Electronic Police Report through the Electronic Police Station website, in the option other crimes.

It is important to report the crime to the authorities to initiate an investigation into the fact or other similar crimes.