Historical series Itaú Unibanco launches features to protect business clients against potential scams and fraud
With the Security Hub, Pix Alert, and Call Alert, the bank reinforces the importance of security as an essential attribute in the context of increasing digitization and greater sophistication of scams targeting companies
São Paulo, August 2025 – Access to banking services in Brazil has undergone rapid transformation in recent years. According to the 19th Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, since 2020 the online environment has become the primary channel for financial operations, serving more than 570 million accounts. The Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) reports that 65.7% of 104.3 billion banking transactions in 2020 were carried out via mobile and internet banking. Four years later, this number jumped to 81.5% of 208 billion transactions.
In this digital context, organized crime has intensified its activity through social engineering scams, especially targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are responsible for 30% of Brazil’s GDP, according to Sebrae (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service). Because entrepreneurs use digital platforms more frequently and diversely, and often face task overload, they become more vulnerable to various types of scams and fraud. The impact of these scams can be significant, affecting not only assets but also cash flow, delaying payments to suppliers, taxes, and employees, and ultimately hindering business continuity.
To tackle this challenge and protect its business clients, Itaú Unibanco presents three launches for this segment: the Security Hub, Pix Alert, and Call Alert. According to Renato Mansur, Director of Digital Channels at Itaú Empresas, “security is one of the core pillars of our work, and it is directly integrated into our clients’ experience. Our commitment is to offer products and services that protect them in an increasingly digital and challenging scenario, with a high incidence of social engineering scams. Thus, we seek to anticipate needs and add even more value to the relationships we build with our clients.”
Victor Thomazetti, Superintendent of Fraud Prevention at Itaú Unibanco, discusses the client-centered approach and security by design concept, emphasizing that security is part of building trust. “We integrate our fraud prevention specialists into product development, ensuring that security is present from the outset. This principle shows that security is a strategic attribute that strengthens trust and adds value to our clients’ experience. The launch of the Security Hub, Pix Alert, and Protected Call reflects our commitment to providing a simpler, smoother, and safer journey, promoting autonomous and conscious financial management for business clients.”
Business Security Hub
The Security Hub is an area within the Itaú Empresas app that brings together all the tools and information provided by the bank to protect against potential financial scams and fraud.
Intuitive and accessible, the features allow clients to customize security settings, increasing autonomy and control over their financial operations, while also raising awareness about prevention.
Centralization and personalization reflect Itaú’s commitment to providing comprehensive solutions aligned with entrepreneurs’ needs.
Highlights of the Business Security Hub include:
- Location: Use of location data to more precisely identify possible fraud cases;
- iToken and authorized device: An exclusive protection mechanism ensuring maximum security in app transactions;
- Facial recognition: Identity confirmation feature for a safer experience;
- Password and access settings: A suite of functions to configure access to the bank’s digital channels, consult, change, or recover passwords;
- Card features: Easy-access options for managing virtual cards, setting up digital wallets, and temporary or emergency blocking of cards or specific card features;
- Device access control: Helps consult login history in the app;
- Security tips: Practical guidance on how to avoid scams and identify common fraud schemes.
Call Alert
The fake call center scam is one of the most common in Brazil and causes significant losses. To protect clients, Itaú presents the Call Alert feature, a solution that acts as a real-time warning for suspicious calls. When a suspicious call is received, the client will see an alert on the Itaú Empresas app screen, warning that the call may potentially be fraudulent. At that moment, they can choose to end account access or resume operations safely.
Pix Alert
The bank’s app sends different alerts to immediately notify the clients about suspicious transactions, displaying contextual warnings on the app screen. This feature allows the client to pause and reconsider the transaction if they suspect it is a scam or are unsure about the recipient.
Additionally, the bank offers a dedicated page on the subject, where you can learn more and share information with friends and family. Visit itau.com.br/segurança and check it out!