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The fake investment scam: guaranteed returns, a group full of winners

High guaranteed returns, a bot that never loses, a group full of profits. At first you can cash out a little, to build trust. Check with the CVM that whoever offers it is allowed to.

Also called: investment scam, Ponzi scheme, crypto scam.

7.4%

of Brazilians aged 16 or older lost money on an investment they saw advertised online

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

R$ 717

was the mean loss of people who fell for an investment advertised online

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

R$ 8.9 billion

lost on investments advertised online, as the survey estimates

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

37

CVM orders to stop an irregular offer or activity in the market in 2025, almost three times 2024 (13)

2025 · Source: Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM)

How it works

  1. The scammer advertises on social media or invites you to a group of "investors" celebrating.
  2. They promise high guaranteed returns, through crypto, a trading bot or bringing in friends.
  3. They let you cash out a little at first, ask for bigger deposits, then disappear with everything.

Where it usually starts: ad, social media, messaging app.

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

How to spot it

  • Guaranteed high returns. Real investments do not guarantee that.
  • A rush to join and rewards for bringing friends.
  • The company is not in the CVM register.

What to do

  • Check the CVM register to see if the company may offer investments.
  • Pay only to an account in the registered company's name.
  • Fell for it? Keep everything, talk to your bank and file a police report. Report it to the CVM.

How Bipe helps

Each item shows where it stands on iPhone and Android.

Verified-only groups

A group can admit only people with a verified seal. Someone without a seal who asks to join gets a notice and stays out.

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

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

Bipe does not check a CNPJ against the CVM register yet. A proposal is written and waits for a decision. The warning shows on promises of guaranteed returns.

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.