Peru leads digital fraud in regional surveys

Experian, cited by Bloomberg Línea, reported that 74% of people surveyed in Peru across five Latin American markets said they had received at least one fraud attempt in the past year, the highest figure among the countries analyzed. In the same report, Peru ranked ahead of Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Panama, while the most reported tactics were messages or chats, undelivered products or services, unauthorized transactions and cases linked to mobile apps.

What do the regional comparisons show?

Peru topped the measurement with 74% of people exposed to at least one fraud attempt in the past year, according to the Experian report cited by Bloomberg Línea. Mexico followed with 72%, then Colombia with 71%, Chile with 70% and Panama with 68%.

Bloomberg Línea's coverage from Peru also said that 71% of people surveyed in Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Panama received at least one fraud attempt during the past year, and that 82% believe these incidents have increased. That figure supports the view that pressure on users in the region is rising, with Peru again among the most exposed markets.

Which tactics were most often reported?

The fraud attempts most often mentioned in the report were messages or chats, at 25%, undelivered products or services, at 22%, unauthorized transactions, at 20%, and cases linked to mobile apps, at 19%, according to Bloomberg Línea.

That picture matches recent cases in Peru showing how digital fraud relies on everyday channels. In Lambayeque, for example, complaints were reported over a fake Claro 5G app and WhatsApp cloning, with losses that can exceed S/ 20,000 in a single operation, according to Diario Correo.

What do the latest studies say about Peru?

A study by Experian and Edelman Intelligence with 1,000 adults across Peru, conducted in July 2026, found that nearly three in four Peruvians were exposed to digital fraud attempts in the past year. Among those who received attempts, 49% fell for the scam, meaning the fraud was completed, according to Infobae Perú.

The same study showed differences by age and location. The 35 to 44 age group had the highest exposure, at 76%, while among people over 65 the share fell to 58%. In Lima, 75% reported at least one fraud attempt versus 71% in the provinces, and repeated incidents affected 39% of Lima residents compared with 31% in the rest of the country, according to Infobae Perú.

Gestión, citing another Experian report, said 73.5% of Peruvians reported at least one digital fraud attempt in the past year, a figure that rises to 75% in Lima. The same report said more than a third, 36.5%, suffered repeated attacks, and that nearly nine in 10 Peruvians believe digital fraud attempts increased in 2026 compared with 2025.

How does the complaint and exposure context look?

According to figures from the Public Prosecutor's Office shared by Agencia Andina, computer fraud is the most reported cybercrime in Peru. Authorities recommend reporting any unrecognized transfer or transaction immediately to the bank and to prosecutors so they can investigate new forms of digital fraud.

The problem also goes beyond end users and reaches the productive sector. A study cited by local media said more than 45 billion cyberattack attempts were recorded in Peru in 2024, and that 83% of SMEs see themselves as more vulnerable than large companies, according to Serperuano.

There is also a particularly exposed group. According to a Kaspersky study cited by the Peruvian press, 67% of Peruvians over 60 do not know whether their personal information has been leaked online, which increases their vulnerability to social engineering, extortion and phone-based and digital fraud attempts.