Promise of Aid Brazil of R$ 2,500 is a coup; know how to avoid

The promise to instantly receive up to R$2,500 in benefit from Auxílio Brasil is drawing many Brazilians into a coup. The amount is up to six times higher than the R$ 400 installment currently paid to families registered in the program, who receive according to the schedule defined by the Ministry of Citizenship.

There are about 20,000 attempted scams a day, according to a survey carried out by the cybersecurity company PSafe.

Criminals are misusing the program’s name with the promise of transferring money to victims by registering on websites, with the intention of later stealing personal information.

Between the 13th and 20th of July, the company says it has identified 17 websites that are using the name of the Auxílio Brasil program to carry out scams. In the period, more than 140 thousand attempts were blocked.

Criminals use a method called phishing, a way to “fish” the user on the internet, something quite common in cyber scams. According to the company, some sites have a share button, which induces the victim to disseminate the platform, helping the number of victims to grow.

Understand how the fake aid scam works

To lure victims, criminals use different methods, PSafe claims. Approaches occur mostly through WhatsApp, but it is also possible that they arrive via SMS or email.

In some cases, they send messages to the potential victim informing them that they are entitled to the benefit.

In other cases, the victim receives a message with a link for them to see if they can receive Auxílio Brasil. For this, she would need to enter personal data on the platform.

To add to the confusion of who is susceptible to falling for the scam, websites use the colors of official applications. After the false consultation, the person receives a message informing that he is entitled to receive the amount of R$ 2,500, available for immediate withdrawal, simply by informing the PIX key number.

According to the company, after this procedure, the data is saved on the website and can be used by criminals.

In the case of having filled in personal data on suspicious websites, the cybersecurity company’s guidance is for the citizen to be aware of any strange movement on the device used (cell phone or computer) and monitor if his name is being used by third parties.

According to the Ministry of Citizenship, one of the requirements to have access to Auxílio Brasil is to be in the Cadúnico (Single Registry), which is only validated in person at CRAS (Reference Center for Social Assistance) units.

How to protect yourself from scammers

Distrusting promises of easy money and values ​​above reality is the first step to protect yourself from the action of criminals.

However, there are other measures that can be taken to reduce the enticement of embezzlers.

• Install a security program on your cell phone or computer. This solution blocks malicious links in browsers sent via WhatsApp, SMS or Messenger in real time;
• Doubt the information shared on the internet, especially when it comes to alleged promotions, gifts, discounts or proposals that are too good to be true, both on websites and on social media profiles;
• Never inform personal data, such as CPF, full name, telephone number, among others, in links of dubious origin;
• If the message is accompanied by a link, use a URL checker to find out if the site is legitimate or not;
• When dealing with a promotion or offer from well-known stores, always try to confirm the veracity of the information on the brands’ official pages and websites.