Bloomberg Line – So -called A dark economy It expands its tentacles in Latin America with digital fraud, money laundering and more sophisticated scams that are managed Artificial intelligence, social networks and regulatory which open the door for transnational criminal networks traditional banking and Fintechs.
The financial crime has shifted about 3.1 trillion. Dollars on the world scale on illegal funds through the world financial system in 2023, while the loss of scams and frauds amounted to about $ 485.6 billion, according to Biocatch.
A A dark economy This is understood as a type of financial crime, increasingly complicated, covered by traffic transactions, weapons and drugs, digital frauds and frauds, financing terrorism and money laundering through “Fagades”.
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In Latin America, according to Biocatch 2025 Dark Economy examination, 74% of financial institutions indicate that fraud attempts increase from year to year and close 60% report the increase in losses for these crimes.
In his report, he holds the opinion of 800 leaders in fraud management, money laundering prevention (PLD) and the maintenance of banks in 17 countries on five continents.
Digital fraud and money laundering They are the most registered crimes with a high component of the use of technological tools to obtain resources and then for interferes with organs’ tracking and finally hid these resources by using digital cough Fintechs for subsequent use.
‘There is a low input barrier for new criminal subjects thanks They allow you to access virtually any person for difficult and real -time persecutionhe said Bloomberg Line Josos Martinez Gonzalez, ra lobal advisor For Biocatch in the region. “There is also a digital aspect of fraud as a service that allows you to use sophisticated tools.”
Criminals find a fertile area for these attacks earlier Disadvantages in normative rights and high component of impunity and even conspiracy with some authoritiesMartinez Gonzalez commented.
“Another element is the lack of effective cooperation between governments, financial institutions and regulatory agencies,” said Biocatch Analyst.
Last police operation on Lima Lima Avenue, Financial Heart San -Paul, presented as an organized crime in Brazil uses investment funds and Fintechs Wash big -scale money.
In late August, the Brazilian federal police launched a wide offensive against organized crime across the fuel supply chain, exposing illegal operations totaling more than $ 23,000 ($ 4.2 billion).
Prosecutors believe the Brazilian cartel The first command of the capital (PCC) penetrated the fuel distribution, using financial evasion schemes that allow drivers to involuntarily access cheap gasoline.
“Fintechs acted with parallel accounting systems, allowing translation between companies And people, without determining the final beneficiaries, ”Seo Paul said in a statement.
The case illustrates like A dark economy It penetrates the most dynamic segments of digital finance in Latin America, using the rapid expansion of the sector to Move and hide forbidden acts with increasing sophistication.
A crime that takes force
” A dark economy This is a problem that, unfortunately, requires more and more relevance in Latin America. This is not something new, But it was a lot difficult. And, unfortunately, we see how our continent also emphasizes some countries, “said Diego OSSA, head of the country and director of Latin America’s sub -regions and Caribbean in Stephanini.
Director of Brazilian Technological Transport said that Main White at User level – digitized population, Including generation gene.
One of the risks is that many subjects in the region do not fully perform the process Know your customer (Know your client), which facilitates the integration of these structures even into the official financial chain, becoming unpleasant connections to distinguish the legitimate and false.
Also he warned it Most common crimes They associate personal data with facade companies or services.
“Access to these basic mechanisms, they manage to mask the company’s identity and get the funds that end with criminal organizations,” said Executive Diego Osa.
So I believe it is’ a complex phenomenon that requires management and responsibility, And people and organizations“.
Complex criminal networks
The main responsible – organized Through digital wallets, cryptocurrencies and investments.
In these organizations there is structured cooperation as far as at all A specialized group performs the first stage of the crime and then passes the task to another expert group in financial management and money launderingresponsible for legitimizing illegal resources.
43% of financial institutions reject more than $ 10 million for fraudAccording to Global Biocatch Survey.
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Consumers suffer from the loss of trust, the impact of fraud and less protection when financial structures They do not report their security efforts, warns.
In 2024, according to Biocatch, scams associated with these structures increased by 32% in the region compared to the previous year, With the increase in Colombia and Argentina and enters Peru and Ecuador.
“Of course This is to use layers of different technologysaid analyst Martinez Gonzalez.
In this regard, he explained that reliable authentication, active monitoring and Tools that provide transactional intelligence are key to combat these threats.
The blanks in regulation contribute to the financial crime
According to Biocatch poll, 89% of respondents believe this Money laundering requires more normative intervention.
Obstacles such as privacy laws, leak risk and misuse of data restriction between these financial structures.
With regard to the rules offered in the poll for industry companies, Allocates a request for greater supervision of non -financial structures.
They also ask to increase advanced technological requirements, improve standard safety protocols and strengthen proper check policy (proper zeal) and exchange of information.
“Regulatory adaptation should advance to new problems, there is no evolution of norms and laws that allow you to determine these financial crimes,” said Martinez Gonzalez.
In his vision, the problem he faces today is first and foremost that the authorities have ‘have Restrictions on research and processing capabilitiesSys relationships with them. ”
Schemes used by criminals
As for the trends of these criminal networks, Biocatch analyst refers to greater use of generative and forums in Dark web . a Hidden part of the internet where they usually act illegal- to the tactics of perfection.
He also sees expansion of transnational criminal networks with specialized horizontal structures.
And the use of sophisticated money laundering schemes through social networks, use influential participantsPurchase / sale of common times, digital casinos and internet.
Fight the growing threats, the protection trends indicate The adoption of behavioral analysis and technology of detection of real time is increasing.
Analysis of behavior has been used 76% of financial institutions were consulted on fraud detection.
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This technique studies patterns such as user behavior, transactions and devices or network data.
With the support of artificial intelligence and Machine training. Suspicious activities can be determined in real time and distinguish them from the legitimate ones.
From the report that applies this analysis, less likely to register losses exceeding $ 10 million a year (46% compared to 51% in those who do not use it), the report said.
Although the shutdown persists, the Biocatch analyst notes that there is greater interest in inter -institutional cooperation and between the countries as well as, as well as Take the use of anonymous data to improve the detection without sacrificing users’ privacy.
One of the problems is that although financial institutions in Latin America invest in detection technology, they do it to a lesser proportion than in other regions, explains Johi Martinez Gonzalez analyst.
