Responsible AI to Combat Fraud in Digital Financial Ecosystems: A Challenge for Latin America and the Caribbean
Cybercrime continues to be a constant threat to the digital financial ecosystem, and looking ahead to 2026 instant account-to-account (A2A) payments are emerging as one of the main targets for fraudsters, driven by their rapid global growth.
According to Juniper Research, the value of global real-time payments will reach $58 trillion by 2028, an increase of over 160% compared to 2024. In Latin America, this growth will be 109%, surpassing $9 trillion in 2028.
Instant Payments, Instant Frauds
A2A payments allow funds to be transferred in less than 15 seconds, outside traditional card networks, and provide almost immediate confirmation for both parties. However, this speed and simplicity present significant fraud challenges. The velocity, 24/7 availability, irreversibility, and limited traceability make A2A payments an attractive target for cybercriminals, who can deceive thousands of users within seconds.
Fraudsters take advantage of new technologies and digital channels to lure their victims. By authorizing these instant payments, users not only risk their money but also put pressure on regulators and real-time payment (RTP) systems themselves.
Digital Payments and Fraud: The Great Latin American Challenge
In 2024, Juniper Research estimated that digital fraud would cost companies more than $362 billion globally between 2023 and 2028—a trend already strongly impacting Latin America in 2025.
The region faces increasing obstacles with the expansion of digital payments: in Argentina, the introduction of real-time payments forced restrictions on the use of pull transaction to contain fraud; in Brazil, one in three citizens has been a victim, with losses exceeding $480 million and the possible implementation of geoblocking for certain transactions. Chile, despite having one of the oldest instant payment systems in the region, suffered a massive breach in July 2024 that exposed data from 10 million people. In Peru, QR code payments have become a growing target for fraudsters while scams have become the third most common crime, according to INEI. Meanwhile, countries like Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica, while advancing in digitalization and moving away from cash, are facing rising rates of fraud and scams. The main challenge for the region is to find the balance between innovation and security, with the goal of stopping the advance of digital fraud.
AI for Fraud Prevention in A2A Payments
The immediacy of real-time payments demands new strategies to combat fraud. To minimize risks, financial institutions must adopt proactive, AI-based solutions capable of efficiently anticipating and neutralizing threats.
As a global leader in digital payments, Visa has developed real-time, AI-powered fraud detection tools that analyze data across different networks and multiple institutions. These solutions identify suspicious patterns, understand transaction behavior, and assess risks, enabling comprehensive and responsible prevention.
Visa Protect is a suite of AI-based risk management and real-time decision-making solutions designed to operate across the entire flow of transactions and payment networks. It helps prevent fraud and financial crime, optimize operations, and strengthen trust among customers and businesses.
With over 30 years of experience in AI and risk management, Visa Protect for Account-to-Account Payments is constantly evolving, leveraging the analysis of billions of transactions and collaboration with financial institutions. In this way, it supports the financial health of users and responds to new challenges in today’s financial system.
Read the full report and discover how to tackle digital fraud in the region.