Registrato: how to use the Central Bank of Brazil service to stay safe

Bank fraud has become a major concern in the lives of many people residing in Brazil. Part of the blame lies with the rapid and forced digitalization over the last few years, forcing citizens to quickly become familiar with technologies that, until then, were far from anything mainstream. On the other hand, cybercrime underworlds around the globe are also to blame, as they strive to exploit potential security breaches in Brazil's advanced financial system.

Moreover, Brazil has seen a growing number of scams involving the PIX instant payment system and forgery for online lending, for example. What few people know is that, since 2014, the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) has offered a free service that may prove to be invaluable to Internet users in protecting their online financial lives. The platform is known as Registrato and offers a statement of all financial information registered with Brazil’s Central Bank.

This is a system that allows people residing in Brazil to have access to all records of financial information linked to their CPF, or individual tax number. The Central Bank of Brazil is the official monetary authority that regulates financial institutions operating within its national territory. Thus, the entity naturally has access to all banking data connected to residents of Brazil, including registered PIX instant payment keys, transactions, outstanding debts, and so on.

On the lookout for strange events

Since it aims to provide a "global report" of a person’s financial information, Registrato immediately became the simplest way for people living in Brazil to find out if their data has been leaked, stolen, or is being fraudulently used by cybercriminals. By simply signing up on the platform, users can request a complete information statement (provided immediately) and carefully check for any warning signs.

PIX instant payment keys registered with unrecognized institutions, accounts you don’t recall opening, or any other kind of fraudulent activity (including debts and loan applications, whether personal or consigned), can then be reported to the bank(s) in question to resolve such situations before they worsen. Below is a list of the types of personal financial information that can be retrieved through Registrato:

• Financial history;

• Current and past relationships with financial institutions;

• Debts with federal public agencies (listed with Brazil’s Federal Public Sector Unpaid Credits Register);

• Credit operations;

• Open accounts (check, savings, and any other modalities);

• Financial transactions;

• Loan requests;

• Registered instant payment keys;

• NSF checks issued;

• Purchase or sale of foreign currency and international transfers;

• Certificate of the non-existence of accounts with banks (issuable to unbanked people).

How to use it

Registrato’s platform is very intuitive and easy to use. Although you can open an account on the platform through a specific form, the simplest and fastest way is for residents of Brazil to simply use their existing gov.br accounts. Once logged in, choose the type of report you wish to request: "NFS Checks", "Loans and Financing", "Accounts and Relationships", Federal Public Sector Unpaid Credits Register known as “CADIN”, "PIX Keys" or "Foreign Exchange". As mentioned, the reports are immediately available for consultation through the system.