Common scams in Brazil and how to avoid them

Financial scams, romance scams, card fraud and ATM scams are common in Brazil, and both the US and UK governments warn about them. Card cloning, payment machine overcharging and beach vendor scams cluster in busy tourist areas. Three habits stop most of them: keep your card in sight, read the amount before you pay, and book rides only in the app.

Most scams aimed at visitors are small and quick: a card machine showing R$ 150 instead of R$ 15, a “driver” who is not from the app. A few are serious, such as drugged drinks and express kidnapping. This page explains each one and the habit that blocks it. For street crime, robbery and region-by-region risk, read is Brazil safe.

The scams at a glance

Card machine overcharges

Card machines, called “maquininhas,” are everywhere in Brazil. Overcharging with them is common at beaches and in busy tourist areas. Keep sight of your card and check the amount on the terminal before you pay.

Check the amount on the machine before you type your PIN. Avoid machines with a damaged or unreadable screen, because they can signal tampering. A vendor who holds the machine so you cannot see it is a warning sign.

At a beach kiosk or with a walking vendor, ask the price before you order. Say the amount out loud when the machine comes back to you. On busy beaches, some vendors hand over goods first and name a high price after. Ask “quanto custa?” before you take anything.

Two rules apply to restaurant bills. The 10% service charge is optional and cannot be imposed on you. A couvert artístico, the cover charge for live music, is allowed only with a live act you were told about in advance, with its price. See money in Brazil for tipping and the service charge.

Card cloning and ATM scams

Card cloning happens at ATMs and in shops. Criminals often target ATMs and businesses in the early hours of the morning.

Use these steps:

• Use an ATM inside a secure place, such as an airport, hospital, bank or shopping mall.
• Do not use an ATM in an unfamiliar, remote or lightly protected area.
• Do not use any machine if something looks loose, added or suspicious.
• Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN.
• Keep your card in view while it is scanned in a shop.
• Ask for a receipt and check your bank statements often.
• Call your bank at once if a charge looks wrong.

If cash from an ATM has pink marks, speak to the bank or the police straight away. Marked notes may be flagged as damaged or counterfeit, as money in Brazil explains.

Pix and express kidnapping

Pix is Brazil’s instant payment system, run by the Banco Central. Criminals use it because money moves in seconds.

In an express kidnapping, criminals force victims at gunpoint to withdraw cash from several ATMs. They may also force victims to transfer funds through banking apps, most often by Pix. Victims have been driven to an ATM, then abandoned, and kidnappers may use violence. Do not resist.

The is Brazil safe page sets out what to do in a robbery. If you open a Brazilian bank account, set low Pix and transfer limits in the app.

Banco Central Resolution 142 of 2021 sets a night-time cap on payments between individuals, Pix included. From 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., the cap is R$ 1,000 (about US$197, checked Oct 2026) per account. A limit increase you request in the app takes at least 24 hours to apply. Many banks let you choose 8 p.m. or 10 p.m. as the start of the night period; choose 8 p.m.

If you are tricked into a Pix transfer, call your bank at once and ask it to open a MED (Mecanismo Especial de Devolução) request. Since September 1, 2026, you have 80 days from the transfer to ask. The MED is for fraud only. Regretted purchases, typing errors and commercial disputes are excluded. A refund is not guaranteed if the money has already left the account, so act within hours, not days.

Fake ride-hail drivers and unlicensed taxis

Express kidnappings, assaults and robberies have happened in unlicensed taxis. Do not hail taxis on the street. Unregulated drivers also pose as ride-hailing drivers, especially at airports, and some cars run on fraudulent accounts on apps such as Uber.

Your checklist for every ride:

1. Book through the official app.
2. Wait in a safe place until the car arrives.
3. Check that the plate and driver details match the app.
4. Watch for any diversion or change of destination in the app.
5. Keep your phone and valuables out of sight.
6. Use trip tracking and location sharing.

At airport arrivals, ignore anyone who approaches you offering a ride. Most airports have authorized taxi booths. Use them if you skip the app. More on fares and apps in Uber, 99 and taxis in Brazil.

Dating apps and spiked drinks

Sedatives are widely used to drug and rob tourists, including US citizens. Victims’ drinks are tampered with until they lose consciousness. Criminals may use dating apps to find victims for robbery or assault, and foreign nationals are a common target.

What to do:

• Set up a video call before you agree to meet in person.
• Meet in a busy public place, and get there on your own.
• Buy your own drinks and keep hold of them.
• Never leave food or drinks unattended.
• If you feel strange, sick or drunk after a couple of drinks, tell a trusted friend or security staff.
• Agree a check-in schedule with friends or family.
• Do not take a new contact back to your room on a first meeting.

Online romance and money requests

Financial scams and internet romance scams are common in Brazil. Be wary of anyone who asks for money, especially someone who starts a “romantic” relationship online.

Common versions include:

• Romance and online dating
• People claiming to be US military personnel
• Money transfers
• Lotteries
• Inheritance notices
• Grandparent and relative targeting

Do not send money, gift cards or bank details to anyone you have met only online. A sudden emergency, such as a hospital bill or a stuck customs package, is the usual hook.

Drug courier offers

Email scams offer a financial reward to travel to Brazil and carry a package back. Anyone caught faces detention for drug trafficking, regardless of the circumstances. Expect a long jail sentence and heavy fines.

Never carry a bag or package for anyone. Pack your own luggage and keep it with you at airports and bus stations.

If you are scammed

Call your bank first to block cards, then report the crime.

You need a police report, a boletim de ocorrência, for most insurance claims. São Paulo’s Polícia Civil runs a Delegacia Digital that lets users file a boletim de ocorrência online and track it, and several other states have similar services. Online forms are in Portuguese and may ask for Brazilian documents. If the form does not accept your passport, go to a police station in person. Tourist police stations (DEAT) in Rio and some other big cities deal with visitors and may have English-speaking staff.

For a dispute with a business, such as a wrong charge you cannot settle on the spot, Brazil runs consumidor.gov.br. Senacon, part of the Ministry of Justice, oversees it with the Procons. Companies must answer complaints within 10 days. You need a gov.br account at silver (prata) or gold (ouro) level to file and follow a complaint, and a gov.br account needs a CPF. Most short-term visitors do not have one. In that case, go to the Procon office of the state where it happened, or dispute the charge with your card issuer at home.

Plan your cash and cards with money in Brazil, and check that your travel insurance for Brazil covers theft.