The speed of today's digital transactions has transformed the way people and businesses move their money. But this growth also brings new challenges for financial security.
According to an analysis by BPC based on Colombian National Police records, between January and August 2026 complaints about unauthorized electronic transfers rose 141% in Bogotá, 121% in Barranquilla and 119% in Cali compared with the same period in 2025. In Medellín, the increase was 84%.
These figures show the need to strengthen prevention strategies, especially now that instant payments and digital transactions are part of everyday life.
Complaints about unauthorized transfers
Change between January and August 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
Fraud prevention also starts with communication
Having technology tools to detect suspicious transactions is essential, but prevention can't rely on security systems alone.
Companies also need to strengthen communication with their customers, provide clear information and create learning opportunities that help them recognize risky situations before they make a transaction.
Why does it matter? Because many fraud schemes exploit people's lack of awareness, trust and sense of urgency to deceive them. An experimental study of 191 employees found that 33.8% opened a fraudulent email when it created a sense of urgency, compared with 15.6% when it didn't use these persuasion techniques.
This shows that no one is completely immune to being deceived. Both employees and customers can be vulnerable to these tactics, which is why strengthening communication and preventive education is key to reducing risk and protecting transactions.
How can customers recognize the warning signs of fraud?
The most common signs worth teaching customers to recognize are tied to situations that can come up during a digital transaction:
Recognizing these signs helps customers pause, verify the information and reach out through the organization's official channels.
How can you strengthen preventive communication with your customers?
Here are some key actions:
- Communicate consistently:share security tips across your digital channels.
- Teach with examples:show how to identify fraud schemes and warning signs.
- Keep your customers informed:let them know about new threats and recommendations.
- Make support channels easy to find:tell them where to report a suspicious transaction.
Prevention is also built by keeping people informed
In an environment where digital transactions keep getting faster, protecting customers requires a combination of technology, monitoring and education.
Raising awareness of the risks, teaching people to recognize the warning signs of fraud and making support channels easy to access all help strengthen security and trust in digital transactions.
