Cyber Security Gaps Expose Latin Americans to Online Fraud | Technology | Cyber Attacks | Investments | Cryptocurrencies | Scams |
Realizing she was out, Gabriella Batalha didn’t think much of it Instagram, It wasn’t until the next day that she discovered her account was full of ads Investments Inside Cryptocurrencies High performance.
The 27-year-old lawyer from Rio de Janeiro had to pay 200 reais (about US$40) to restore his account. “consultant” He says he found a guy on YouTube who might be a scammer. “It took me two days to recover my account and I was very stressed”He explained.
Patalha was not the only one. Online scams on the rise in Brazil 65% Last year, there were more than 200,000, according to data from the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook published last month.
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Across Latin America, online fraud and cyberattacks are “at an all-time high,” said cybersecurity firm Tenable, posing an urgent problem for the well-connected region.
Recent advances in technology inclusion in Latin America have created new opportunities for fraud, experts say, as the epidemic spurs a trend toward mobile banking and shopping using payment systems like Brazil’s most popular PIX.
The region is increasingly online. In 2022, the 77.9% Compared to Latin America and the Caribbean, people used the Internet 74.8% Above the previous year and world rate 66.3%According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
According to a report by Internet security company Kaspersky, half of Latin American Internet users spend an average of six hours a day on social networks.
“Growing dependence on new technologies has made it easier for cybercriminals to attack more often”said Kerry-Ann Barrett, cybersecurity expert at the Organization of American States (OAS).
Threats are becoming more complex and costly, costing the region billions a year, Barrett noted.
In Peru, a gang defrauded a construction company of more than $62,000 by posing as a bank on a fake website, the attorney general’s office said.
In Mexico, fraudsters have targeted unsuspecting victims with fake job offers via text messages, prompting victims to share sensitive personal data, according to local press reports.
“Latin America is a priority target…
