Brazil’s Central Bank sets new Pix fraud rules, extending MED disputes to 80 days and adding account tracing

The Banco Central do Brasil has published new Pix security rules under Instrução Normativa BCB nº 766. For PSPs and banks touching Brazil, the practical point is simple: the dispute window under the Mecanismo Especial de Devolução (MED) gets longer, and Pix gains a new layer to help trace so-called “contas laranja” used in fraud flows.

1. The changes take effect in two stages. The monitoring system starts on the next Monday (10), while the expanded deadline for contesting MED returns begins on 1 September.
2. The MED dispute window will move from 30 to 80 days. MED is the procedure financial institutions use to try to recover Pix transfers in cases of fraud, scam activity, or operational failure.
3. When a victim reports the issue to their bank, the institution reviews the case and, if it sees signs of irregularity, can request a block on any funds still available in the receiving account.
4. The new tracking system is aimed at identifying contas laranja, accounts frequently used to receive and move money obtained through scams. According to Instrução Normativa nº 766, the goal is to expand the monitoring capacity of Pix participants and help stop suspicious funds from circulating through the system.
5. The changes are part of version 8.5 of the Manual Operacional do DICT, the technical rulebook for Pix. In plain terms, this is the Central Bank tightening the operational plumbing around fraud handling, not just adding another policy note to a PDF.

For high-risk payment providers, the operational takeaway is not subtle: longer MED review timelines can affect dispute handling and reserve management, while account-tracing requirements raise the bar on fraud monitoring inside Pix flows.