Who Benefits from the Digital Economy? — Protecting Account Networks and Human Judgment

Introduction: As convenience reaches its peak, crime becomes "optimized"

In Brazil, the spread of digital finance, including instant payment systems like "PIX," has boosted economic efficiency while also advancing and accelerating crime. According to the latest fraud trends introduced by InfoMoney, financial fraud "indications" in the first half of 2025 reached 1.3 million cases, a 12% increase compared to the same period the previous year. "Orange accounts" (conta laranja), which serve as "receptacle accounts," surged by 38% annually, and social engineering scams using social media and messaging apps increased by 29.5%. Conversely, traditional fraud targeting the "transactions themselves" of cards and PIX decreased by 3.8%. This indicates a shift in the focus of crime towards "people" and "account networks." InfoMoney

Centerpiece: The Reality of Orange Accounts

Orange accounts primarily follow two streams: ① a legitimately opened account in the name of the owner is purchased or borrowed by a third party to serve as a receptacle for illicit funds, and ② new accounts are opened using forged or stolen IDs. The person lending their account can also face criminal charges for fraud, money laundering, or involvement with criminal organizations, posing the risk of becoming part of serious crimes while intending merely to "earn some pocket money." The Brazilian banking industry association ABBC is running a nationwide campaign, "Tem Cara de Golpe" ("That Looks Like a Scam"), repeatedly urging people not to "hand over their ID or lend their account." InfoMoney

Regulatory Changes: Suspicious Deposits Are Not Allowed

In response to the surge in receptacle accounts, the Central Bank of Brazil (BC) immediately implemented a new policy in September 2025. After a transition period until October 13, banks and payment providers are required to "refuse payments to destination accounts suspected of involvement in fraud." Public and private databases and electronic information are utilized for verification. This approach aims to preemptively block fraud at the "remittance destination," serving as a primary defense before traditional post-recovery measures. InfoMoney

Strengthening Post-Recovery: Towards MED 2.0

Additionally, BC is gradually introducing enhancements to the "Special Refund Mechanism (MED)" for blocking and refunding victims' funds. A roadmap was outlined, with voluntary participation from December 2025 and full mandatory implementation by February 2026. This will enable extensive and rapid tracking and freezing following a damage report. In the future, there are plans to include mechanisms to preemptively block the opening of "impersonation accounts." InfoMoney

Macro Impact: Numbers Tell the Story of "Digital Era Losses"

・In 2024, the damage from "digital bank fraud + card fraud" amounted to approximately 10.1 billion reals (according to Febraban). The alarming term "Cangasso Digital (Digital Era Banditry)" has emerged in public discussions, indicating the industrialization of crime. InfoMoney
・The phrase "every four minutes, someone falls victim to digital fraud" reflects the social awareness prompted by a survey from the Brazilian Forum on Public Security. Senate reports also note that the potential for victimization has become universal across a wide range of age groups, from young to elderly, as online activities have increased. InfoMoney

Industry Investment: Security Is Not a "Cost" but a "Value"

The banking federation Febraban anticipates a technological investment of 4.8 billion reals in 2025 (a 13.5% increase from the previous year). Funds are being directed towards enhancing the resolution of financial institutions' "eyes," such as detection algorithms, device fingerprinting, and transaction network analysis. Fintechs are also under pressure to elevate their Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-fraud measures to BC standards. InfoMoney

Social Media Atmosphere: Welcoming Reinforcements, but Also "Anxiety Over Unreturned Funds"

Whenever news about regulations and countermeasures is released, mixed reactions are visible on X (formerly Twitter). Reports on strengthening PIX refunds (MED 2.0 and expanded refund rules) receive welcoming comments like "a necessary step" and "finally catching up," while cautious opinions such as "refunds are slow" and "concerns about misjudgment in account blocking" are also prominent. Replies under posts from media outlets (CNN Brasil, Jovem Pan, EXAME, etc.) often feature threads with family experiences of "PIX takeovers" and personal testimonies of boleto (payment slip) fraud. X (formerly Twitter)

Additionally, reports of the arrest (and subsequent release) of a prominent influencer involved in a "large-scale PIX fraud" sparked a swirl of surprise and anger with comments like "even celebrities..." Abroad, the Colombian banking association is discussing "lessons and risks to learn from PIX," indicating that Latin America as a whole is closely watching Brazil's successes and challenges. X (formerly Twitter)

Why "People" Now: Social Engineering in the AI Era

AI-generated deepfake audio and video, as well as generated texts, dramatically enhance "authenticity," shifting the focus from altering transactions themselves to misleading "human judgment." The frontline of corporate defense is expanding beyond transaction monitoring to comprehensive risk assessment of customer interactions, identity verification, and device profiling. Reports both domestically and internationally point out that AI is amplifying both defense and attack capabilities. CNN Brasil

Implementation Checklist for Companies, Government, and Individuals

Companies (Finance, E-commerce, Delivery/C2C Platforms)

• Strict KYC: Continuous updates of identity verification (risk-based) and external data matching of application/verification logs.

• Orange Account Measures: Anomaly cluster detection in recipient account graphs (new accounts × short-term high turnover × new device sets).

• MED Coordination: Damage report → automatic triage → SLA for immediate hold.

• Phishing Resistance: Strict monitoring of domain and metadata and operation of SMS short codes.

Government and Regulation

• Rules for Transfer "Destination" (expanding interoperability of private databases centered on BC's new policy).

• Standardization of Post-Recovery (common specifications for internal procedures towards nationwide mandatory implementation of MED 2.0). InfoMoney+1

Individuals (Users)

• "Do not lend your account or hand over documents" is an absolute principle.

• Always enable two-factor authentication and use a family "password" to prepare for impersonation calls.

• Regularly check your "accounts and credit in your name" with the Central Bank's "Registrato." Reporting within 12 hours is the watershed for recovery in case of damage. InfoMoney

Conclusion: Growth and Safety Are Not Trade-offs

Digitalization has clearly reduced economic friction. Therefore, reducing the friction of fraud simultaneously—this concurrent implementation is the next competitive edge. The case of Brazil teaches us that regulations, investments, and civic education are shifting in a trinity towards a design that protects not only "transactions" but also "receptacles (account networks)" and "human judgment."

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