Mercado Pago: How to report a suspicious transaction from your cell phone to avoid falling for a scam.

Mercado Pago users have security tools available 24/7. The goal is to strengthen the application's security and report suspicious transactions.

Currently, there are several types of digital scams, such as phishing (fake messages pretending to be from official entities), fraudulent calls seeking to obtain sensitive data, and social media profiles promising to double your money after an initial investment, among others. To prevent this, it's important to have all the account security methods active and report the incident immediately.

In Mercado Pago, for example, users can quickly and easily verify that they have enabled all features by checking the green checkmarks. To do this, they must access the Security Center , located in the bottom bar of the app under "More" and then "Security."

Once the report is received, the case will be evaluated by a specialized team who will take appropriate action. Additionally, when identifying fraudulent users, Mercado Pago prevents them from continuing to use the app and, in the case of accounts belonging to another institution, notifies the corresponding entity.

7 keys to minimize the risk of falling for scams :

• Avoid trading while on a call: If someone is rushing you to make a transfer or an urgent decision, take a second before moving forward.
• Never share passwords, verification codes, or full card details, as they are personal and no legitimate entity will ever request them via social media, email, calls, or text messages.
• Do not respond to emails or access links that do not come from official domains.
• Always verify that the accounts you interact with are official (they must have a social media verification badge).
• Websites must begin with “https” and display the closed padlock icon.
• Avoid downloading files or installing programs received by email or messaging.
• Be wary of contacts with alarmist messages, spelling errors, or messages that seem too good to be true. Additionally, if you need to verify whether a phone number is actually an official Mercado Pago contact, you can do so by clicking the 24-hour Help button and clicking "Contact Us."

These security tools are added to other features already available in the app. In 2024, Mercado Pago was recognized as the most secure digital wallet in the country, standing out in account access protection, active session management, and transaction traceability.