Trend summary
- INEGI’s victimisation survey estimates about 8.1 million frauds in 2025: 4.6 million bank frauds and 3.6 million consumer frauds. Fraud was 24.1% of all crimes the survey counted and the single most common crime in Mexico.
- The fraud rate has risen from 3,319 per 100,000 people in 2012 to 8,290 in 2025, and by about 44% since 2022 alone. Fraud victims lost about MX$66.5 billion in 2025.
- 80.6% of frauds in 2025 involved the internet or electronic media, 13.3% happened face to face and 6.9% by phone. Only 4.8% were reported to prosecutors.
- Banks reported 2.52 million claims for possible fraud in the first half of 2026, worth MX$11.2 billion. Every mobile line now has to be linked to the owner’s CURP, a registry meant to cut phone scams and extortion.
What the numbers show
The best measure of how many people are cheated is INEGI’s yearly crime-victim survey, ENVIPE, because most fraud never reaches the police. Fraud has been the most frequent crime it records for several years. The rate per 100,000 people was 5,770 in 2022 (INEGI 2023), 6,962 in 2023 (INEGI 2024), 7,574 in 2024 (INEGI 2025) and 8,290 in 2025, against 3,319 in 2012. In 2025 that meant about 8.1 million frauds, 24.1% of the 33.8 million crimes counted. Card or bank-account fraud featured in 49.9% of cases, paying for goods or services never delivered in 46.7%, and card cloning in 11.4%. Losses came to about MX$66.5 billion, 26.9% of losses from all crimes in the survey, and 96.5% of frauds went unreported or uninvestigated (UNODC-INEGI Centre of Excellence). Across all crimes, 93.4% were never reported or investigated in 2025 (INEGI).
Complaints data tell the same story. Possible-fraud cases at CONDUSEF, the financial consumer watchdog, were about 99,000 in 2011, or 8% of complaints; by 2018 they made up 59% (Xataka). Cyber fraud’s share of fraud claims rose from 11% in 2019 to 20% in 2020 and 31% in early 2021 (DPL News). Claims lodged directly with banks are far larger. In the first quarter of 2026 banks received 1.515 million possible-fraud claims worth MX$5.2 billion, up 31.5%, and returned only 24.3% of the money claimed (El Informador). For the first half of 2026 the total reached 2.52 million claims worth MX$11.2 billion; identity-theft claims rose 18.8% to 18,663 (Expansión). At CONDUSEF itself, 43,871 of 118,287 complaints in the first half of 2026 concerned possible fraud, up 16.7%: 27,721 traditional and 14,627 digital (La Jornada).
Extortion, much of it by phone, is the other big crime against people’s money. ENVIPE put the extortion rate at 5,056 per 100,000 in 2022, 5,213 in 2023 and 5,971 in 2024, the third most common crime (INEGI). Its share of all crimes has fallen from 24.2% in 2016 (INEGI) to 15.3% in 2019 (INEGI). Between July and November 2025, at least 59,283 people called the 089 line to report extortion attempts (Infobae).
What is driving it
Money now moves fast and by phone. Banco de México’s SPEI system settles transfers in seconds; CoDi, a QR and mobile payment layer on SPEI, started on 30 September 2019 (Banco de México), and DiMo, which lets people send money to a mobile number, opened to banks on 23 February 2023 and had more than 11 million linked accounts by November 2024 (Banco de México). The same speed helps fraudsters: in 2025 four in five frauds used the internet or electronic media. The financial system itself was hit in 2018, when attackers breached five SPEI participants’ connection software in April and May (Banco de México) and moved about MX$60 million in 160 transfers from another institution in October (Banco de México). Low reporting keeps fraud cheap. A study of victim surveys found that a wider sense of police corruption makes people less likely to report fraud (Carreto Romero and Ramírez-Álvarez, Revista Sobre México, 2022); research on business extortion found that paying up is relatively rare and depends mostly on the situation, such as the type of extortion and whether weapons are involved (Estévez-Soto, British Journal of Criminology, 2021).
The law has moved in steps. In 2008 card cloning and skimming were made punishable by three to nine years in prison (DOF). In 2012 phone companies were obliged to geolocate phones in real time in extortion and kidnapping cases, and prisons had to block mobile signals (DOF). The 2018 Fintech Law brought crowdfunding and e-money firms under supervision and required them to warn clients of the fraud risks of virtual assets (DOF). A 2021 mobile-user registry gave carriers one year to register every line (DOF). A general law on extortion in November 2025 set prison terms of 15 to 25 years, made extortion prosecutable without a complaint and allowed phones used from prisons to be blocked (DOF). Since 9 January 2026 every mobile line must be linked to the holder’s CURP; only 63 million of about 144.6 million users had registered by the original 30 June deadline, so it was extended (Infobae).
Recent cases
- 9 October 2026: Banks received 2.52 million claims for possible fraud in the first half of 2026, up 1.4% on a year earlier, worth MX$11.2 billion. Identity-theft claims rose 18.8% to 18,663 (Expansión).
- 10 September 2026: INEGI’s ENVIPE 2026 survey found fraud was again Mexico’s most common crime in 2025, with about 8.1 million cases and a rate of 8,290 per 100,000 people. 80.6% involved the internet or electronic media (UNODC-INEGI Centre of Excellence).
- 5 September 2026: The second round of suspensions for mobile lines not linked to a CURP began, by last digit of the number. The telecoms regulator CRT had extended the 30 June deadline after only 43% of users had registered (Infobae).
Press releases and official reports, 2023–2026
Up to five key releases a year for the last four years, newest first. Most come from national bodies such as INEGI, the Ministry of Health, CENAPRED, the National Seismological Service, CONAFOR, the Navy, CONDUSEF and the Official Gazette, from Congress, from international agencies such as PAHO and WHO, and from research journals. Key events, especially in earlier years where official archives are missing, come from Mexican news outlets such as La Jornada, El Universal, Excélsior, El Financiero, Animal Político and Mexico News Daily. Headlines are our English translations of the Spanish originals. Releases from 2007–2022 are in the expandable list after 2023.
2026
- 9 Oct 2026ExpansiónUnstoppable bank fraud in Mexico: customers claim MX$11.213 billion in the first half of 2026
- 10 Sep 2026INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2026
- 10 Sep 2026UNODC-INEGI Centre of ExcellenceENVIPE 2026: Fraud Emerges as the Most Common Crime in Mexico and Reveals a Growing Trend Toward Digital Victimization
- 5 Sep 2026InfobaeMandatory mobile phone registration with CURP enters its second round: who will lose their line this month if they do not register?
- 10 Jul 2026La JornadaPossible fraud behind 4 in 10 complaints filed with Condusef
2025
- 28 Nov 2025Official Gazette (DOF)Decree issuing the General Law to Prevent, Investigate and Punish Extortion Offences and amending the Federal Penal Code and other laws
- 18 Sep 2025INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2025
- 13 Mar 2025INEGIENIF 2024: eight in ten people had a savings, credit, insurance or pension account
- 29 Jan 2025La JornadaThe SSPC warns the public about 'montadeudas' mobile lending apps
- 14 Jan 2025La JornadaComplaints over unrecognised internet purchases jumped 40% in 2024, Condusef says
2024
- 5 Dec 2024Banco de MéxicoBanco de México reports on DiMo interoperability and the launch of its website
- 19 Sep 2024INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2024
- 25 Jun 2024INEGINational Survey on Financial Health (ENSAFI) 2023
2023
- 15 Oct 2023La Jornada10,000 phones used for extortion are deactivated
- 18 Sep 2023La JornadaMore than 14 billion pesos a year stolen in cyberattacks
- 11 Sep 2023INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2023
- 25 Jun 2023La Jornada'Montadeudas' use the Cyber Police logo to commit fraud: SSC
View 20 years of major Mexican fraud press releases (2007–2026)47 more from 2007–2022, up to five a year, newest first
2022
- 8 Dec 2022La JornadaCondusef warns of a new form of fraud: 'at home'
- 31 Oct 2022La JornadaHalf of internet users in Mexico have been victims of cyber fraud
- 8 Sep 2022INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2022
- 11 May 2022INEGINational Financial Inclusion Survey (ENIF) 2021
- 26 Apr 2022La JornadaSupreme Court declares the Panaut unconstitutional for violating privacy
2021
- 23 Sep 2021La JornadaFraud in 'fintechs' hits the poorest and the young: Condusef
- 22 Sep 2021INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2021
- 17 Jun 2021DPL NewsMexico: cyber fraud claims grew 89.1%, Condusef reveals
- 16 Apr 2021Official Gazette (DOF)Decree amending and adding various provisions of the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law (mobile phone user registry)
- 22 Feb 2021La JornadaCyber fraud complaints rose 25% in 2020: Condusef
2020
- 11 Dec 2020La JornadaMobile phone users to a national registry (Chamber of Deputies approves Panaut)
- 10 Dec 2020INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2020
- 1 Dec 2020La JornadaCondusef: 7 in 10 complaints against banks are for fraud
- 22 Jan 2020Banco de MéxicoCoDi: the new way to pay in Mexico
2019
- 24 Sep 2019INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2019
- 29 Aug 2019La JornadaSupreme Court declines to overturn ruling against the CNBV over the Ficrea fraud
- 9 May 2019La JornadaCyber fraud on credit cards rises 25%
2018
- 17 Dec 2018Banco de MéxicoPublic consultation on draft Banco de México rules (Cobro Digital, CoDi)
- Nov 2018Banco de MéxicoInformation on the attack on an SPEI participant in October
- 23 Oct 2018Xataka MéxicoSuspicious fraud numbers and emails in Mexico in one place: this is Condusef's financial fraud site
- 14 May 2018Banco de MéxicoActions taken by Banco de México to mitigate the risk of operational incidents at SPEI participants
- 9 Mar 2018Official Gazette (DOF)Decree issuing the Law to Regulate Financial Technology Institutions and amending various financial laws
2017
- 26 Sep 2017INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2017
- 20 Aug 2017La JornadaInterior Ministry warns of a new form of extortion in hotels
- 19 Jul 2017La JornadaMore than 1.5 million complaints over fraud in the financial system
2016
- 27 Sep 2016INEGINational Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) 2016
- 14 Jun 2016INEGINational Financial Inclusion Survey (ENIF) 2015
- 1 Apr 2016La JornadaIdentity theft complaints to financial institutions soar
2015
2014
- 23 Dec 2014La JornadaFicrea case: meeting between defrauded savers and authorities ends without a solution
- 10 Jan 2014Official Gazette (DOF)Decree amending, adding and repealing various financial provisions and issuing the Law to Regulate Financial Groups
2013
- 13 Oct 2013La JornadaPhone extortion accounts for the largest number of calls for help to the Federal Police
2012
- 16 Jun 2012La JornadaInterior Ministry destroys the database of the Mobile Phone User Registry
- 17 Apr 2012Official Gazette (DOF)Decree amending the Federal Code of Criminal Procedure, the Federal Penal Code, the Federal Telecommunications Law and other laws (mobile geolocation and prison signal blocking)
- 13 Mar 2012La JornadaDisputes over card payments rose 150%: Condusef
2011
- 30 Apr 2011La JornadaThe Senate puts an end to the failed mobile phone user registry
- 6 Mar 2011La Jornada90% of telephone reports about extortion are false
2010
- 21 Apr 2010La JornadaRenaut is not reliable; Calderón could have vetoed it, says the head of Cofetel
- 11 Apr 2010La Jornada25.9 million mobile phone lines left out of the registry
2009
- 25 Jun 2009Official Gazette (DOF)Decree amending the Credit Institutions Law, the Law for Transparency and Ordering of Financial Services and the Law for the Protection and Defence of Financial Services Users
2008
- 24 Sep 2008La JornadaCommittee report ready to create the national mobile phone user registry
- 26 Jun 2008Official Gazette (DOF)Decree amending the Credit Institutions Law, the General Law of Credit Instruments and Operations, and the federal criminal codes (bank card cloning offences)
- 2 Apr 2008La JornadaPolice chief asks the head of Cofetel for common sense (cancellation of 3,415 mobile lines linked to extortion calls)
2007
- 14 Dec 2007La JornadaTougher penalties for extortion by telephone or email (Mexico City Legislative Assembly)
- 29 Nov 2007La JornadaPush for a law to identify all mobile phones
- 28 Jun 2007Official Gazette (DOF)Decree amending the Federal Penal Code, criminal procedure and organised crime laws and the banking, savings, securities, insurance and bonding laws
- 15 Jun 2007Official Gazette (DOF)Decree issuing the Law for Transparency and Ordering of Financial Services and amending the Credit Institutions Law and other financial laws
Many years list fewer than five items, and some have none yet. Several official archives (parts of gob.mx, the Official Gazette and older agency pages) could not be opened when we compiled this list, and we only list items we could open and check. We are still adding to these lists. Where a page shows no date, the date comes from the publisher’s own index; annual reports with no printed date are listed under the year they were released.
Photo list
How this page is built. Figures come from the official statistical releases and research linked above; where agencies publish provisional numbers we say so, because they are revised. National death data come from INEGI’s death registrations, which are finalised the year after; preliminary figures are labelled. Some figures come from news reports quoting officials, and we name the outlet. Money is given in Mexican pesos (MX$). Headlines and quotes are our translations from Spanish. Photos are public-domain or Creative Commons images credited in each caption; file photos are illustrative and are not from the events described unless the caption says so. This page tracks trends and is not personal safety, medical, legal or financial advice.