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The fake acquaintance scam: the photo is someone you know, the account is not

The scammer copies the photo and name of someone you know, such as a friend or your boss, and writes from another number asking for money. Here is how to spot it and what to do.

Also called: fake boss scam, cloned profile scam.

11.4%

had someone pose as them online

Jul 2024 to Jun 2025 · Source: Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública e Datafolha

How it works

  1. The scammer copies a photo and name from a social media or messaging profile.
  2. They write from another number as that person, sometimes saying they changed number.
  3. They ask for a Pix, a payment to a supplier or gift cards, always in a rush.

Where it usually starts: messaging app, social media.

How it arrives on Bipe. Simulation with sample people and messages.

How to spot it

  • The chat comes from a number you did not have saved.
  • The person cannot call or send a voice message.
  • The money goes to someone else's account or company.

What to do

  • Call the person on the number you already had before you pay.
  • Show your profile photo only to your contacts.
  • Already paid? Talk to your bank at once, ask for MED and file a police report.

How Bipe helps

Each item shows where it stands on iPhone and Android.

Message requests

People who are not in your contacts arrive as a request. A message from a new number does not land straight in your chat list.

iPhone: In the test app · Android: In development

Verified seal

A seal with a name verified through Pix or gov.br, so you know who is on the other side.

iPhone: Coming soon · Android: Coming soon

Scam warnings

A warning shows under a message that looks like a scam, such as a rushed Pix, a new number or a boleto. It is on by default, with nothing to set up.

iPhone: In the test app · Android: In development

A pause before paying

On a suspicious money request, copy and pay stay locked for 5 seconds, to break the scam's rush.

iPhone: Coming soon · Android: Coming soon

What Bipe does not solve here

The seal helps only when the real person is verified. If they have no seal, Bipe shows that the account is new and not in your contacts, but it cannot tell who is on the other side.

Bipe only protects the chats that happen in Bipe. If someone in the family still uses another app, a scammer can write to them there.

Who describes this scam

Official pages with the scam's script and what to do.

Other common scams

Scams in Brazil in numbers

Where these numbers come from

Researched on 13 October 2026. We only use numbers that have a source. Surveys by a company or a private association are marked as such.