Experian study points out that 8 out of 10 Brazilians are concerned about identity theft

Around 61% have already been victims of this type of fraud  

Experian's global survey on authentication and fraud prevention identified that 77% of respondents in Brazil are concerned about identity theft, higher than the number obtained with respondents in the rest of the world which is 57%. The survey also shows that 61% of Brazilians have already gone through some such experience or know someone who has been a victim.   

Identity theft occurs when criminals, in possession of the consumer's personal data, attempt to obtain credit, open bank accounts and even issue credit cards. The good news is that there are tools that allow you to authenticate the client through different layers of prevention and that are effective in preventing someone from impersonating someone else.   

Another fact that draws attention is the fear that 78% of Brazilians have that their credit card information is stolen. The number is well above the global average of 61%. Research shows that concern about credit card fraud increases with age: 54% of 18-24 year olds have this fear. The number increases to 57% in the 25-39 age group, to 62% in the 40-54 age group and 74% in the 55-64 age group.  

Companies are increasingly aware of the importance of continuous authentication, as highlighted by Rafael Garcia, Executive Manager of Authentication and Fraud Prevention at Serasa Experian. “Fraud detection is among the 3 challenges that most concern companies, this is reflected in the business strategy, as authentication and fraud prevention solutions ranked second in the investment order of Brazilian companies.”   

The survey shows that 87% of Brazilian consumers consider it important that the companies they interact with in the digital environment are able to always identify them. On the business side, 98% of respondents said they are concerned about customers' digital recognition.  

Garcia highlights the importance of aligning expectations and looking for partners who can help build a safe journey for businesses and consumers. “It is worth mentioning that solutions should not be implemented in isolation, without an authentication and fraud prevention strategy, as protection can be compromised. For a secure end-to-end customer journey, it is necessary to combine tools that can prevent different types of fraud and stay ahead of the evolution of fraudster attacks.”  

See the tips that Serasa Experian has prepared for companies and consumers to avoid being victims of scammers  

  Consumers: 

· Include your personal information and card details if you are sure it is a secure environment; 

· Be wary of offers with prices far below the market. At such times, it is common for cybercriminals to use well-known store names to try to break into your computer. They use emails, SMS and website replicas to try to get the buyer's credit card information and data, passwords and personal information; 

· Beware of links and files shared in social networking message groups. They can be malicious and direct to unsafe pages that contaminate devices with viruses to work without the user noticing; 

· Register your Pix keys only on the banks' official channels, such as a banking app, Internet Banking or branches;   

· Do not provide passwords or access codes outside the bank's website or application;  

· Do not make transfers to friends or relatives without confirming by phone or in person that it really is the person in question, as the person's contact may have been cloned or falsified; 

· Monitor your CPF frequently to ensure you haven't been the victim of any Pix scam.  

Companies:   

With the acceleration of the adoption of digital channels in the lives of consumers, companies are increasingly investing in new fraud detection methods and increasingly sophisticated technologies throughout the customer journey, so that the security of the operation does not affect their experience. integrated;  

Count on online payment platforms. The company that wants to act online, providing services or selling products, needs to pay the utmost attention to payments. It is necessary to adopt a system that combines speed in the processing of transactions with security;  

Analyze more expensive purchases. Another practice that can greatly reduce the risk of online fraud is the analysis of purchases. Whenever the company is faced with a high-value order, for example, it is necessary to dedicate special attention, verifying in more detail the customer and the data informed. One way to guarantee the security of this type of transaction is to make a prior contact by email or phone to confirm data or the purchase itself. Although this type of assessment can make the sales process longer, it is essential to protect your business against fraud; 

· Check entries. Having a customer database is essential to strengthen the security of online operations. In this regard, having access to an updated register of consumers, in which it is possible to check the veracity of the information provided at the time of a purchase, for example, is another strategy to reduce risks when selling. Registration confirmation can easily identify fraud attempts, signaling suspicious situations, such as discrepancies in customer data with those contained in other reliable databases;  

· Consult your customer's profile. Knowing the customer is undoubtedly one of the most efficient ways to avoid online fraud. When the company is able to assess the consumer's history in the market, status of their CPF or CNPJ, their habits and the existence of pending issues in their name, for example. It is much easier and safer to assess the risks of an operation.  

Methodology  

From January to March 2022, Experian conducted a survey of 6,062 consumers aged 18-69 and 1,849 business representatives across the financial services industry, including retail banking., fintechs, credit card network providers, digital banks, consumer technology service companies, electronics providers, and online and mobile retailers. Interviews took place in 20 countries (South Africa, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Spain, United States, Netherlands, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Peru, Singapore and United Kingdom ). The results were validated through qualitative interviews with consumers from Germany, Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom. This is the seventh year of the survey.