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The New Rules of the Central Bank, Allied to Recent Judicial Decisions, Are Forcing Banks to Return the Money of Fraud Victims, Holding Institutions Accountable for Security Failures and Creating a New Path to Recover Losses More Quickly and Effectively.
The new rules of the Central Bank and the strengthening of jurisprudence from the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) are changing the landscape of banking responsibility in Brazil. For the first time, judicial decisions and regulatory norms converge to assign banks the duty to compensate customers harmed by scams and failures in their security systems.
The change comes in response to the significant increase in digital fraud, especially with the advancement of instant payments. The Special Return Mechanism (MED) of Pix, improved in 2025, and the understanding consolidated by the STJ now form an unprecedented base of protection for consumers.
Justice Understanding: Banks Are Responsible for Fraud
The 479 Summary of the STJ is the main legal foundation that supports victims of banking fraud.
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It determines that financial institutions are objectively responsible for frauds and crimes committed by third parties during banking operations.
This means that, if there is a security failure in the system, the bank must reimburse the customer.
Among the most common cases is the false central scam, where the criminal impersonates a bank employee and induces the customer to make transfers.
In October 2025, new decisions reinforced that the bank has an obligation to compensate in these cases, as it is up to the institution to ensure mechanisms capable of detecting and preventing atypical transactions.
The exception occurs only when there is exclusive fault of the consumer, that is, when the customer acts with proven negligence, such as providing passwords directly to fraudsters without any indication of a banking security failure.
Even so, courts have been applying more protective interpretations for the consumer, considering that the fragility of systems and the lack of efficient authentication contribute to the crime.
New Rules of the Central Bank and the Improvement of Pix
The Central Bank has expanded the scope of the Special Return Mechanism (MED) to recover funds diverted in frauds and scams via Pix.
Since October 2025, a dispute button has been implemented directly in the apps, allowing the victim to request an immediate refund.
The deadline to trigger the mechanism is up to 80 days after the transaction, but the faster the registration, the greater the chances of blocking the amount.
When the request is made, the scammer’s bank is notified and can block the suspicious amount, giving the recipient 30 days to defend themselves.
If the fraud is confirmed and the money is still available, it is automatically returned to the victim’s account.
The new rules of the Central Bank also require banks to reject payments to fraudulent accounts and to hold accountable individuals who lend accounts for perpetrating scams.
The monetary authority has initiated a traceability process for Pix transactions, allowing the mapping of the money’s path and increasing the chances of recovery.
How the Refund Process Works in Practice
In practice, the refund process depends on the immediate action of the victim and the agility of the bank in triggering the MED.
As soon as the customer identifies the fraud, they should notify the bank through the app, phone, or in person, informing about the suspicious transaction.
The triggering of the MED initiates communication between the involved banks. If there are funds in the scammer’s account, the amount is blocked and analyzed.
If the fraud is confirmed, the refund occurs. However, many criminals quickly empty their accounts, which reduces the effectiveness of the mechanism and requires the victim to file a Police Report and register the complaint with the Central Bank or Procon.
When the administrative refund is not possible, the judicial route becomes the main avenue.
The victim can file a compensation action based on the banks’ objective responsibility.
The focus of the Justice has been on analyzing failures in the security system and identifying the institutions’ negligence in monitoring atypical movements or in opening fake accounts.
Recurring Cases and Emblematic Decisions
In 2025, the STJ reaffirmed the responsibility of banks in three types of scams: the false central scam, the orange account scam, and the cell phone theft with unauthorized transactions.
In the false central scam, the court understood that the vulnerability of authentication systems and the lack of preventive blocking of transactions constitute a security failure.
In the opening of orange accounts, recent decisions hold digital banks that do not adequately verify documents or identities accountable, allowing the use of fake accounts to receive funds from scams.
And, in cases of cell phone theft, the absence of additional security barriers in the banking app, such as facial biometrics, has also led to institutions being condemned.
These decisions consolidate the understanding that the security of transactions is the bank’s obligation, not the customer’s.
How to Act and Protect Against Fraud
To increase the chances of recovering money and avoiding new scams, experts recommend following some immediate steps.
The first is to communicate with the bank as soon as the fraud is detected, requesting the triggering of the MED and the blocking of the scammer’s account.
Next, file a Police Report and keep all proof and conversations related to the fraud.
If the bank denies the request, the consumer can file a complaint with the Central Bank and contact Procon.
For prevention, it is essential to verify the identity of anyone requesting transfers, be suspicious of unexpected contacts, never provide passwords, and keep the banking app protected with biometrics and two-factor authentication.
Caring for one’s own cell phone is also crucial, as it is the main entry point for digital scams.
Supervision and Accountability of Financial Institutions
The new rules also bring punitive measures for banks that do not comply with security protocols.
The Central Bank requires constant monitoring of suspicious accounts, preventive blocking of irregular transactions, and cooperation with police investigations.
The trend is for institutions to increasingly invest in artificial intelligence for fraud detection, reducing the number of cases and legal costs related to compensations.
For the consumer, this means a safer and more transparent banking environment, with shared responsibility, but with greater burdens on financial institutions.
Infelizmente, os criminosos estão muito a frente dessas medidas. Eles criaram os próprios bancos disfarçados de instituições de pagamentos com a autorização do Banco Central pra receber as transferências e possuem vários aplicativos nas lojas pra realizarem os golpes tranquilamente, mesmo que estes tenham sido denunciados às respectivas lojas. Um dos bancos é o ECOMOVI, disponível na Playstore e Apple Store. Como eles possuem as próprias “instituições de pagamentos” podem movimentar tranquilamente sem pressa pra manipular todo o dinheiro recolhido. Provavelmente, o destino final desses recursos seja as cripto moedas onde não é possível o rastreamento, aí já era. Se não for criado um método eficiente de rastreabilidade de forma instantânea, não terá como frear esses criminosos.
Existe um tal site consulta fácil na internet que te cobra uma taxa para consultar se tem valores esquecido, é golpe o banco central não cobra nenhuma taxa para você pesquisar se tem dinheiro esquecido, entre no site do banco central pra você fazer a consulta se tem valor esquecido ou não, fuja de golpes.