A call from a familiar contact, an ad featuring an authority figure, or a message seemingly sent by a company could mask a problem that didn’t exist just a few years ago: the ability to create convincing, fake digital identity signals.
In Brazil, artificial intelligence is already part of the toolkit used to execute sophisticated scams, while attempts to manipulate digital identities continue to rise.
Serasa Experian identified nearly 1.5 million fraud attempts in identity registration and validation during the first quarter of 2026—equivalent to one incident every five seconds.
The study also highlights the misuse of AI, synthetic identities, and fraud-as-a-service offerings as key emerging trends.
Voice has become another weapon in fraud
One growing tactic is voice cloning. Using audio samples, AI tools can generate speech that mimics a person’s voice characteristics. This material can then be used to make fraudulent contact more convincing.
Febraban cites, for example, the possibility of criminals using cloned voices in WhatsApp scams, making the interaction appear to be a conversation with someone known.
The organization also warns of another risk: the use of artificial voices to bypass authentication systems that rely on voice recognition.
This changes a key premise of trust-based scams. Hearing a family member’s, colleague’s, or acquaintance’s voice is no longer sufficient confirmation of who is on the other end.
The problem extends beyond voice
AI can also be used to produce fake images, videos, and other content.
In August 2026, the Ministry of Finance reported that a survey by NetLab/UFRJ found 544 fraudulent ads related to debt renegotiation on Meta’s platforms.
Of these, 38% had been produced using AI, while 72% misused the name or image of the government and well-known brands to appear legitimate.
The combination of different elements makes it harder to detect fraud. A criminal can use a fake identity, a manipulated image, and a message designed to create urgency in a single approach.
How protection must evolve to keep pace with change
The evolution of scams is also changing how identity is verified. Banks and companies now analyze different stages of the digital journey, rather than relying on a single signal.
Febraban itself emphasizes the need to strengthen identification mechanisms in response to attacks involving deepfakes and data manipulation.
In 2026, the organization also established a partnership with the Ministry of Management and Innovation and industry associations to expand the use of the National Identity Card in digital identification processes.
