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The fake boleto scam: it looks like the company's, it pays the scammer

The boleto looks like it is from a company you deal with, but the barcode sends the money to someone else. Before you pay, check the name your bank shows.

Also called: fake boleto, altered bill.

14.3%

of Brazilians aged 16 or older lost money to a Pix or fake boleto scam

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

How it works

  1. The scammer sends a boleto in the name of a company, school or building, or makes a fake duplicate-bill site.
  2. The boleto has the right logo and amount, but the barcode is for another account.
  3. You pay, and the money lands in the scammer's account.

Where it usually starts: e-mail, messaging app, SMS.

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

The real message

The real company never asks for a code, a password or a Pix to a personal key. On Bipe, it will show the seal and its CNPJ (coming soon).

The real message. Simulation with sample people and messages.

How to spot it

  • A boleto arrived that you did not expect, or by a new route.
  • The payee's name on your bank screen is not the company's.
  • They say the account or payment key changed.

What to do

  • Before you pay, check the name and CNPJ your bank shows.
  • Get duplicate bills only in the company's official app or site.
  • Paid? Talk to your bank at once and to the company, and file a police report.

How Bipe helps

Each item shows where it stands on iPhone and Android.

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

Business Pix charges

A verified institution charges by Pix inside the chat. The card shows the CNPJ that receives the money and turns to paid when the bank confirms.

iPhone: Coming soon · Android: Coming soon

Business seal

A company, school or association proves its CNPJ and gets a seal with the name on the federal register.

iPhone: Coming soon · Android: Coming soon

What Bipe does not solve here

A PDF boleto by e-mail is outside Bipe. On Bipe, the warning shows on a boleto code pasted in a chat.

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.