What a fake transfer is
Almost always, what you get is an edited image or PDF with a real bank's logo. They change the amount, the date or the name to make it look like you were already paid.
What the payer sends you is a receipt; the official receipt, the CEP, is the one thing that cannot be edited. Without the CEP there is no way to confirm the payment exists.
NoteRequesting the CEP costs nothing, and you don't need to be a customer of the bank: just the payment details.
What to check on the receipt
Before you have the CEP, some signs are visible at a glance on the receipt you were sent. None of them alone confirms fraud, but several together are reason to request the CEP before you deliver.
A real receipt comes from the bank's app or site. An edited one almost always has something off in the lettering, the color or the layout, even if it's hard to spot.
- The amount, the date or the time do not match what you expected.
- It has no tracking key, or the format doesn't look like that bank's.
- The design doesn't match previous receipts from the same sender.
- You're asked to deliver the product before you confirm the payment.
- It's a photo or a screenshot, not a file from the bank.
- It arrives in a rush, outside business hours, pushing you to check it right away.
ImportantThe screenshot comes from the payer's bank, not Banxico, and anyone can edit it before sending it; the CEP, on the other hand, is signed by the institution that receives the money.
How to verify the payment
The tracking key is the code Banxico uses to identify your transfer. Whoever paid you can share it, and with it you look up the CEP at banxico.org.mx/cep. Compare the details with what you agreed on.
The CEP guide explains, step by step, how to request it and what each field means.
Official sourceThe Banxico site for requesting the CEP is open from 9:30 to 23:00, every day, and asks for no account or password.
How Veriko does it
Veriko looks up the CEP with Banxico and compares the amount and the account with what you expected, in about 10 seconds.
If you sell and get paid often, the Small business solution explains how to confirm the payment before you deliver.
Frequently asked questions
What do bank transfer scams look like?
The most common one is the altered screenshot or PDF: they change the amount, the date or the name before sending it. A real transfer with a misleading description also happens, though it's less common. Confirming with the CEP rules out both.
How can I check whether I was sent a transfer?
Ask whoever paid you for the tracking key. With it, look up the CEP at banxico.org.mx/cep: if it appears, the money moved.
How do I trace a transfer if I was scammed?
If the tracking key on the screenshot doesn't exist or doesn't match, that's a strong sign the receipt was edited. Keeping that evidence helps if you need to report it later.
What should I do if I'm sent a fake transfer?
Don't hand over the product or the service until you confirm the payment with the CEP. Keep the receipt you were sent: it serves as evidence, even though it doesn't prove anything on its own.
Is it possible to recover the money after being scammed?
It depends on the case, and this guide cannot promise it. Condusef, the commission that handles complaints about banks and other financial services, takes reports of this kind of fraud. Keeping the receipt, the tracking key and the conversation with whoever paid you helps document the case.
How do I trace a SPEI and find out if a transfer went through?
Banxico has two separate tools: MI-SPEI, for anyone with an account at a participating bank, and the CEP site, open to anyone with the payment details. To confirm a receipt you were sent, the CEP is the direct route.