The Central Bank is launching a preventative blocking of Pix keys to allow users to prevent unauthorized registrations in their name, creating an additional layer of security against digital scams that use personal data to open accounts and register fake keys with banks and fintechs. With this new feature integrated into Registrato, the Central Bank is expanding its focus on prevention, reducing the scope for criminals who exploit registration flaws in the financial system.
By centralizing this control within the Registrato environment, the Central Bank seeks to… to give citizens more power over the use of their CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID) in the instant payment system.while connecting the measure to a broader package of actions already underway, such as the automatic blocking of suspicious keys and the intensive use from the Special Return Mechanism (MED). In a scenario where Pix scams become more sophisticated and more expensive for victims, the strategy aims at both individual protection and the stability of the payments ecosystem itself.
How does the preventive blocking of Pix keys created by the Central Bank work?
In practice, the new feature allows users to access Registrato, a Central Bank system that gathers financial information such as open accounts, loans, and registered Pix keys, and activate a specific option to prevent the creation of new keys linked to their CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID).
With the block activated, any attempt to register a new Pix key in your name will be automatically blocked., unless the owner himself releases the registration.
This logic is similar to that of services that prevent the opening of new accounts without authorization, also under the supervision of the Central Bank.
The difference is that, in the case of Pix, the focus is on key registration, which has become one of the sensitive points exploited in recent scams.
By integrating the blocking feature into Registrato, the Central Bank maintains control in an environment already known for concentrating citizens’ financial data, without requiring new applications or parallel registrations.
Protection against fake registrations and identity fraud.
The main objective of the measure is to reduce fraud based on fake Pix key registrations, in which criminals use third-party data to link information such as CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID), email, or cell phone number to accounts under their control.
By preventing the creation of new keys without the explicit consent of the account holder, the Central Bank is attempting to close an important loophole used by fraudsters to misappropriate funds through fraudulent transfers..
This protection is particularly relevant in scenarios involving joint accounts, business accounts, or structures where multiple users have some level of access to the data.
With preventative blocking, the account holder has an additional mechanism to prevent their name from being misused in databases linked to transactions they are unaware of, thus reducing the risk of unintentional involvement in fraud schemes.
The preventive blocking of Pix keys is not an isolated action, but part of a set of measures that the Central Bank has been implementing to strengthen the security of the system.
In October, the local authority became Automatically block keys flagged as suspected scams.In addition to providing a dispute button in banking apps, which makes it easier to request a refund in cases of fraudulent transactions.
Another move cited by the Central Bank itself is the service planned for December, aimed at blocking the opening of new accounts without the account holder’s authorization, following a pattern similar to that which will be applied to Pix keys.
Together, these mechanisms indicate a shift in focus: The Central Bank is moving away from a purely reactive stance and is beginning to prioritize structural prevention., reducing the attack surface at critical points in the registration and transaction cycle.
Putting the problem into perspective: average losses and sophistication of the scams.
The latest data helps to explain why the Central Bank is intensifying its fight against fraud in Pix.
According to a survey by the financial intelligence company Silverguard, the average loss from scams on the system increased by about 21% in 2025: in the first half of the year, each victim lost an average of R$ 2,54 per case, compared to R$ 2,1 in the same period of the previous year.
In other words, the problem is not just the volume of occurrences, but also the average value per attack..
The study also indicates that the higher the income and age of the victim, the greater the loss tends to be. People over 60 years old suffered average losses exceeding R$ 4,8, while classes A and B recorded losses of up to R$ 10,5 per incident.
This analysis reinforces the perception that groups with greater wealth and, often, less familiarity with digital scams become priority targets.
According to the Central Bank, this scenario puts pressure on measures that make it more difficult for specialized criminal gangs to operate.
Destination of transfers and professionalization of crime
Another relevant finding from the Silverguard study is the change in the destination of fraudulent transfers.
Over 65% of irregular transactions now target corporate accounts, suggesting the use of more organized structures, with real or shell companies embedded in money laundering networks.
This indicates that scams involving Pix have largely ceased to be amateur initiatives and have become part of a “highly structured criminal industry.”, as described in the research itself.
In this context, the preventive blocking of Pix keys announced by the Central Bank becomes a piece in a more complex puzzle.
By reducing the chance of creating fake keys linked to third-party data, the regulatory body attempts to dismantle a part of the financial infrastructure used by criminals to receive, redistribute, and conceal funds, complementing other regulatory and supervisory actions.
Channels used by scammers and the user’s role.
The data also shows that WhatsApp leads as the main source channel for scams, followed by Instagram and Facebook.
Criminals take advantage of trust placed in personal contacts, cloned profiles, and seemingly legitimate pages to trick users into making Pix transfers to accounts controlled by criminal gangs.
In these cases, fraud often doesn’t depend on a technical system failure, but on social engineering, which makes user awareness as important as the Central Bank’s actions.
Even with the preventive blocking of Pix keys, User behavior remains a critical component of security..
Being wary of urgent transfer requests, confirming through another channel before sending money, and avoiding clicking on suspicious links are practices that significantly reduce the risk.
The tools created by the Central Bank expand structural protection, but do not eliminate the need for an active stance on the part of the consumer.
Key deletion and use of the Special Return Mechanism
Another recent area of focus has been the management of the keys generated over the years of Pix’s operation.
In the last few months alone, more than 245 million keys have been deleted, according to the Central Bank, many of them due to typing errors, the death of the holder, or cancellation at the customer’s request.
This volume illustrates the degree of turnover and the need for clear mechanisms to review and clean up old records.
Meanwhile, the Special Refund Mechanism (MED), created by the Central Bank to reverse fraudulent transactions, was activated 7,7 million times in the first half of the year alone.
This shows a high demand for corrective instruments after the coup occurred.This reinforces the importance of preventative measures such as blocking new keys to reduce the need for subsequent intervention.
In an ideal cycle, MED remains the last line of defense, not a tool that is routinely activated.
Impacts of the Central Bank’s measure for banks, fintechs, and users.
For financial institutions, the preventive blocking of Pix keys will require operational and interface adjustments.
Banks and fintechs will have to align their systems with Registrato to comply with the blocking signal issued by the Central Bank, preventing incompatible registrations.
This tends to increase security, but it can also require… Adjustments to account opening flows, digital onboarding, and customer service., to avoid errors in legitimate registration situations.
For users, the direct impact is increased control over their own CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID) within the financial system, albeit accompanied by greater responsibility in managing the blocking or unblocking status whenever they wish to create new keys.
In practice, those who don’t usually register keys frequently can keep the block active by default, only releasing it when they really need to register a new Pix key.
Conclusion: Is the Central Bank’s blocking of Pix keys sufficient to stop scams?
The decision of the central bank Creating a preventative block for Pix keys is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the system’s security, reducing loopholes for fake registrations and hindering the misuse of personal data in digital fraud.
In conjunction with the automatic blocking of suspicious keys, the dispute button in apps, and the intensive use of MED (Medical Data), the measure seeks to shift the focus of the fight against scams from a purely reactive approach to a more preventive and structured one.
Nevertheless, the increasing sophistication of criminal gangs, the use of corporate accounts, and the central role of channels like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook show that the problem is far from being resolved simply through regulatory changes.
The full effectiveness of these actions will depend on the combination of technology, supervision, cooperation between institutions, and financial literacy for the user., that It remains the last barrier. against hasty transfer decisions.
And you, in light of the new Pix key blocks announced by the Central Bank, Do you believe these measures will significantly reduce scams, or do you think criminals will still find loopholes to operate within the system?