Scams alter QR Code and copy and paste code from Pix; check the recipient before paying
Procon-SP warns of frauds that divert payments to criminals' accounts and advises people to check the recipient's details on the bank's app.
BY THE X-TRADER NEWS NEWSROOM · REPORTING FROM TIMES BRASIL · 2 MIN
Scammers began to alter the QR Code and the copy-and-paste Pix code to divert consumer money to criminal accounts, according to a survey by Times Brasil. The alert, which cites Procon-SP, deals with purchases made over the internet and shows that fraud can happen at the time of payment, and not just when choosing the product.
According to the report, the scam can affect both the QR Code image and the copy and paste code, the two formats used to pay via Pix. In both cases, the value displayed may be correct while the recipient is different, which makes checking the price insufficient.
According to Times Brasil, just checking the purchase price does not prevent losses. The guideline is for consumers to check the details of who will receive the money on the bank's app before authorizing the transfer.
If there is a discrepancy in the data, the recommendation is not to complete the payment. The measure is simple, but it depends on the consumer stopping and comparing the information before confirming the operation.
The case highlights a risk that goes beyond a specific store: when the payment method is tampered with, the customer's trust in the system itself is exposed. For e-commerce, this means that the security perceived when paying becomes part of the purchasing decision.
What changes for the investor
For those who invest, the theme appears in two ways. The first is the cost: the diverted money comes out of the pocket of those who purchased it, and, in theory, recurring losses can reduce the willingness to purchase online, which affects digital retail companies that depend on this channel. The second is trust in the payment method, which tends to be charged to banks for clearer verification mechanisms in applications, something that can be seen as an operational cost or as a differentiator, depending on the execution. The report does not provide price or results projections, and the analysis here is limited to pointing out the factors that deserve attention in sectoral assessments.
Automatically translated from Portuguese.
