Protection against tampered boletos
The tampered boleto scam is a Brazilian classic: the payment code is swapped on screen and the money goes to a different payee, on what looks like a legitimate boleto. Proteside checks the numbers before your customer takes them to their bank.
The customer is about to copy the boleto payment code.
Illustrative animation
Boleto · Brazil
A boleto is a Brazilian payment slip, paid by typing in its payment code (a long string of digits) or scanning its barcode. Malicious code that has been around for more than a decade swaps those numbers in the browser the moment the boleto is displayed or copied.
How the attack happens without anyone noticing
Payment code swapped
The customer copies your boleto’s payment code and the scam replaces the digits with those of a criminal’s boleto, keeping the same amount and due date. The bank accepts it: the fake boleto is technically valid.
Fake boleto displayed
The compromised page shows a boleto that looks identical to yours (logo, amount, due date) but with another issuer’s payee and code.
Altered amount or due date
Variations change the amount charged or bring the due date forward to rush the payment before anyone checks the details.
How it works
Four layers between the scam and your payment
- 1
Record what’s legitimate
Proteside records the payment code, barcode, payee and amount of every boleto your page issues.
- 2
On-screen check
When the boleto is displayed or copied, it checks that the numbers on screen are exactly what was issued.
- 3
Block before confirmation
A mismatched payment code is blocked before the customer takes it to their banking app.
- 4
Alert and evidence
Your team gets an instant alert, with a record of the tampered code.
The technical details of detection and blocking are Proteside’s proprietary technology and are shown in a demo, using your real scenario. How it works
Protection scope
What’s covered
- Payment code and barcode shown on the page
- Content copied with the “copy code” button
- Payee and amount shown to the customer
- Boletos issued by you, your payment provider or a billing partner
Out of scope
- Boletos sent by email or message outside your page
- PDFs printed and delivered physically
- Bank clearing, which follows the bank’s own process
Also protected by the same installation
One installation, every payment method in your checkout.
Frequently asked questions
Does the boleto scam still exist?
Yes, and it has evolved. The malicious code families that swap boleto payment codes have operated in Brazil for years and now also spread through browser extensions and scripts injected into payment pages.
Does Proteside protect boletos issued by partners?
Yes. The check happens on the page where the boleto is shown to the customer, whoever issued it.
Protection against tampered boletos
Choose the path that fits your business: start a free trial for your store or book a demo built on your real payment flow.