Reporting a scam in Brazil
First hour, in order
- Call your bank. Call your bank and, for instant Pix transfers, ask about the Mecanismo Especial de Devolução (special return mechanism), which has tight deadlines.
- Stop paying. No fee, tax or "release payment" ever unlocks money that does not exist.
- Screenshot everything before you delete an app, block a number or close an account.
- Then report using the routes below. Reporting is slower than the bank call, and less urgent — but it is what produces enforcement.
In Brazil, fraud is reported to the civil police of your state, usually through an online delegacia eletrônica. If money moved by Pix, the special return mechanism is time-limited — call the bank immediately.
Where to report
Polícia Civil — delegacia eletrônica of your state
Also worth using
What not to do
- Do not pay anyone to recover your money. No legitimate service charges an up-front fee to get stolen funds back, and people who have just been scammed are the primary market for recovery scams.
- Do not use contact details the scammer gave you — not the phone number, not the "support" chat, not a link in a message. Look the agency up yourself.
- Do not delete the evidence. Apps, chats, wallet addresses and transaction IDs are what make a report actionable.
- Do not send one more payment. This is where most of the largest losses happen.
Sources
- Registrar ocorrência policial. Government of Brazil. Accessed 2026-09-06.
- Consumidor.gov.br. Government of Brazil. Accessed 2026-09-06.