The citizen whose cell phone is stolen or stolen can be a victim of the “clean it all” scam, in which criminals discover the passwords for bank applications and other financial institutions and make transactions to take all the victim’s money.
To protect yourself and get the values back, you have to be fast. In addition to erasing your data online when stolen or stolen, it is necessary to block all access to the bank through the cell phone and file a report (see here the three steps to avoid further damage after cell phone theft).
According to the lawyer Alexandre Berthe, specialist in consumer law at Alexandre Berthe Pinto Advogado, the action of criminals is increasingly specialized. In general, they take their cell phones already unlocked, while the victim responds to a message on the street or uses location apps inside the vehicle.
“It’s the most destructive scam we’re seeing at the moment. It’s easier for the scammer when the cell phone is unlocked.” According to the expert, thieves use the “I forgot my password” option and can register a new one by receiving an SMS or an authentication email. “They go and wreak havoc on the financial life,” he says.
To protect themselves, the consumer whose cell phone was stolen should immediately call the bank, ask to block all accesses and write down the service protocol, the time and, if possible, the name of the person who answered him. Then file the incident report. If, even so, the bank authorizes transactions that take the victim’s money, there is a way to ask for the amount back.
How to get money back?
Berthe says that the initial path is through a complaint with the financial institution. There is a period of up to seven days for a response to customers, according to him. The Procon-SP (São Paulo Consumer Protection and Defense Foundation) gives a period of up to ten days to respond after a complaint with the agency.
Guilherme Farid, Executive Director Procon-SP, reinforces the specialist’s guidelines. “From the moment you made the communication to the financial institution, it is important that you have a protocol that will guarantee that, if there are atypical transactions, the bank will have to reimburse you”, he says. If not, you can file a complaint online at Procon.
According to Febraban (Brazilian Federation of Banks), the reimbursement policy is the responsibility of each financial institution and is based on “in-depth and individual analyses, considering the evidence presented by customers and information on the transactions carried out”.
The client must go through a kind of investigation before getting the values. Febraban also says it is attentive to “public safety problems and their impact on banking transactions and the safety of its customers, especially with the use of Pix”.
If the bank doesn’t return it, Berthe says it’s necessary to file a lawsuit to get reimbursed. At this point, it is important to have as much evidence as possible.
“If the bank gives an answer that is not satisfactory, I advise you to look for a specialist lawyer. [Especial Cível, sem advogado], in practice, these crimes need evidence and tracking, and the Special Court does not accept evidence. In these cases, common justice ends up being more advisable.”
What do the banks say?
Caixa Econômica Federal has five years to file a claim
Caixa Econômica Federal states that it advises its customers to immediately seek the bank in case of theft, theft or loss of a cell phone, debit card or other device. Blocking is done over the internet and can also be done at an agency.
To block access and delete the stolen cell phone, the customer must access their account from another enabled device, click on “Passwords and Settings” and then “Manage Devices”. Then, access “Registered Devices” and, finally, select the device you want to delete.
In the case of requests for the return of amounts due to movements that the customer does not recognize, the contestation period is up to five years after the date of the transaction. For this, it is necessary to go to an agency with CPF and identification document.
Banco do Brasil monitors operations
Banco do Brasil states that it uses technology to monitor transactions, which “optimizes the time of detecting transactions that are not compatible with the customer’s behavior, predicting patterns and suspicious transactions, in real time”, says the bank.
All transactions in the accounts are first notified by SMS or WhatsApp. Notifications are also sent in cases of suspicious credit card purchases or other transactions.
The institution states that, if the customer is the victim of a scam or theft, or if he has noticed any atypical operation on his account, the first step is to contact the service center, by telephone 4004-0001 (capitals and metropolitan areas ) and 0800-7290001 (other locations). It is also possible to complain to an agency.
The bank says that it receives and analyzes all disputes of movements not recognized by the customer. The response time is up to 15 calendar days. The analysis is carried out by the technical area, which defines whether there is a right to reimbursement or not. Another guideline is to use WhatsApp BB (61 4004 0001), launched this year, with digital security tips. For that, you need to type #security.
Itaú Unibanco requests registration of incident report
Itaú Unibanco states that customers who are victims of robbery or theft should contact the bank immediately for temporary blocking of passwords, products or services. Bank phone numbers are 4004-4828 (metropolitan areas) or 0800-9704828. If the client suspects that he is being a victim of a scam, it is also possible to contact the institution at [email protected].
The bank advises that the incident report be made as soon as possible so that the competent authorities can investigate the case. If the customer is the victim of account transactions that he does not recognize, it is necessary to file a complaint with the bank. The response period is three days.
To control the security of the app, the bank says that there is the use of passwords, biometric or facial recognition and token. The institution also states that it “submits all operations to risk monitoring, which analyzes transactions to identify any suspicions of attempted fraud or scams”.
Bradesco inspects the account that will receive the money
Bradesco states that when the customer makes a complaint about an unrecognized transaction, there is an analysis of the account that received the amounts. The bank also advises that, in case of theft or loss of a cell phone, the incident report must be made, the telephone company notified to block the chip and telephone and the exchange of all passwords.
The return of the disputed amounts occurs after an evaluation of the case.
If you are a victim of theft, notification should be made as soon as possible, warns the institution. The client can look for the agency or make contact through Fone Fácil, on the numbers 4002-0022, for capitals and metropolitan regions, and 0800-5700022, for other locations.
If the scammers move values, it is necessary to contest the transaction at the branch, taking a brief written report and the incident report. In this case, there are ten working days for a response from the bank.
Santander offers insurance
Santander states that in cases of fraud, scam, theft, card or cell phone theft, the customer must contact the bank’s call center, SAC or ombudsman immediately to report what happened.
The bank also says that “it guides its customers to protect passwords so that misuse and financial losses do not occur”.
Anyone who suffers from theft or theft of values from their accounts should contact the Santander Service Center, by calling 4004-3535, which is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week, in addition to the SAC, at 0800-7627777. It takes up to two business days to have a response after disputing a fraud.
With the new crime techniques, Santander is offering insurance in case of operations carried out under duress, whether Pix, Doc (Credit Document), Ted (Available Electronic Transfer) or Tef (Electronic Fund Transfer). Insurance costs from R$ 9.90.
Fintech association says it prioritizes security
The performance of criminals in the financial system has also affected digital banks. According to the fintech association, these actions create challenges for companies, which increasingly invest in digital security.
In a note, Zetta, a fintech association, says companies provide “guidance in their service channels” for security. Another tool is the immediate possibility of exchanging passwords in the various service channels of the institutions.
Collaborated with Mariane Ribeiro
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
