# Fake investment and pyramid scam: how it works and what to do · Bipe

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.

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

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

## The numbers

- **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](https://publicacoes.forumseguranca.org.br/server/api/core/bitstreams/33ed3320-fc11-45f9-a909-ed69eba48cfd/content))
- **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](https://publicacoes.forumseguranca.org.br/server/api/core/bitstreams/33ed3320-fc11-45f9-a909-ed69eba48cfd/content))
- **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](https://publicacoes.forumseguranca.org.br/server/api/core/bitstreams/33ed3320-fc11-45f9-a909-ed69eba48cfd/content))
- **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)](https://www.gov.br/cvm/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2026/numero-de-stop-orders-quase-triplica-de-2024-para-2025/))

## 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.

## 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](https://bipe.chat/en/features/verified-only-groups/) (iPhone: Coming soon; Android: Coming soon): A group can admit only people with a verified seal. Someone without a seal who asks to join gets a notice and stays out.
- [Scam warnings](https://bipe.chat/en/features/scam-warnings/) (iPhone: In the test app; Android: In development): 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.
- [Business seal](https://bipe.chat/en/features/business-seal/) (iPhone: Coming soon; Android: Coming soon): A company, school or association proves its CNPJ and gets a seal with the name on the federal register.

**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

- [Ofertas / Atuações irregulares](https://www.gov.br/cvm/pt-br/assuntos/protecao/alertas/ofertas-atuacoes-irregulares) (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM))
- [Golpe do falso investimento](https://portal.febraban.org.br/DetalheAntifraude/11/pt-br/) (Febraban)
- [Glossário de Tipologias de Fraudes e Golpes Digitais](https://www.gov.br/mj/pt-br/assuntos/alianca-nacional-de-combate-a-fraudes-bancarias-digitais/glossario_final_iniciativa_1-8_v10.pdf) (Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública e Febraban (Aliança Nacional de Combate a Fraudes Bancárias Digitais))

## Other common scams

- [Fake relative](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-relative-scam/)
- [Taken number or account](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/cloned-number-scam/)
- [Fake bank call centre](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-bank-call-scam/)
- [Pix and fake boleto](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/pix-scam/)
- [Fake shop](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-shop-scam/)
- [Threats with your data](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/threat-scam/)
- [Fake acquaintance](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-acquaintance-scam/)
- ["I sent you a code by mistake"](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/code-by-mistake-scam/)
- [Romance scam](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/romance-scam/)
- [Fake lawyer](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-lawyer-scam/)
- [Fake government body](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-government-scam/)
- [Fake delivery fee](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-delivery-fee-scam/)
- [Fake job and task scam](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/task-job-scam/)
- [Fake support](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-support-scam/)
- [Fake second-hand sale](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-seller-scam/)
- [Fake buyer and fake receipt](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-receipt-scam/)
- [Fake rental](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-rental-scam/)
- [Wrong Pix](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/wrong-pix-scam/)
- [Fake boleto](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-boleto-scam/)
- [Fake loan](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-loan-scam/)
- [Betting and "tigrinho"](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/betting-scam/)
- [Fake link](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-link-scam/)
- [Phantom hand and fake app](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/remote-access-scam/)
- [SIM swap](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/sim-swap-scam/)
- [Fake kidnapping](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-kidnapping-scam/)
- [Sextortion](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/sextortion-scam/)
- [Group chat scam](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/group-chat-scam/)
- [Fake fundraiser](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-charity-scam/)
- [Scams in Brazil in numbers](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/)

## 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.

- [Pesquisa de vitimização e percepção sobre violência e segurança pública 2025](https://publicacoes.forumseguranca.org.br/server/api/core/bitstreams/33ed3320-fc11-45f9-a909-ed69eba48cfd/content) (Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública e Datafolha, 2025-08)
- [Glossário de Tipologias de Fraudes e Golpes Digitais](https://www.gov.br/mj/pt-br/assuntos/alianca-nacional-de-combate-a-fraudes-bancarias-digitais/glossario_final_iniciativa_1-8_v10.pdf) (Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública e Febraban (Aliança Nacional de Combate a Fraudes Bancárias Digitais), 2025-10)
- [Golpe do falso investimento](https://portal.febraban.org.br/DetalheAntifraude/11/pt-br/) (Febraban, 2025-01-21)
- [Ofertas / Atuações irregulares](https://www.gov.br/cvm/pt-br/assuntos/protecao/alertas/ofertas-atuacoes-irregulares) (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM), 2025-08-08)
- [Número de stop orders quase triplica de 2024 para 2025](https://www.gov.br/cvm/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2026/numero-de-stop-orders-quase-triplica-de-2024-para-2025/) (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM), 2026-04-09)


## Download

- Install on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/k3ycEfzk (Test version, through Apple TestFlight.)
- Download for Android: https://bipe.chat/baixar/android/bipe.apk (Test version. Download the file and open it on your phone. Android asks you to allow the install. Notifications do not work yet.)

An experiment by Envisioning: https://envisioning.com

## Source code

- iPhone app: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-ios
- Android app: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-android
- App rules and text: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-shared
- Invites and @ directory: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-api
- This site: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-web
- Colours and styles: https://github.com/bipe-chat/compound-design-tokens
- On-device scam model: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-ml
- Business bridge and inbox: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-business