The Itapema Civil Police found that in 2023 alone, more than 1,500 cases of fraud were reported in the municipality.

In 2023 alone, the Itapema Civil Police recorded more than 1,500 cases of financial fraud in Itapema – Photo: Civil Police/Reproduction/ND

According to the corporation, this fact encourages the public to exercise greater caution when making any type of purchase, sale or rental. The estimated losses suffered by victims of these scams can be invaluable.

The most common crimes reported by civilian police were false bank transactions; false relative; fake sites; Pix scam; Instagram and Facebook; pyramid, OLX; air tickets; sextortion (extortion using nudity), advertising; fake auction and others.

In the past, fraud was mostly committed in person, said Delegate Aden Klaus, the district’s chairman. However, with the development of technology, they have “migrated” to the online world.

The corporation has stepped up preventive measures in the summer, when demand for travel and rentals increases. Photo: PMSC/Divulgação/ND

And this scenario could become even more severe in the summer as tourism and seasonal rental supply increase. Many scammers use Pix to scam people by imitating accommodation agencies or airlines, for example.

What to do if you become a victim of scammers

According to the Civil Police, in the event of fraud, a person must immediately notify their financial institution so that it can carry out reimbursement procedures. After this, register the incident at a physical or virtual police station.

It is important to have documents with you that can help in the investigation of a criminal case, for example, screenshots, bank transfer receipts and others.