Visa blocked 185% more fraudulent transactions in Panama during Black Friday 2025. The implementation of artificial intelligence by Visa allowed it to mitigate systematic fraud attempts, protecting consumers and businesses during the peak consumption season. According to the analysis, consumer spending using Visa credentials increased by almost 10% compared to the same holidays in 2024.
Evolution of consumption and digital payments. Javier Vazquez, VCA director for Latin America and the Caribbean, noted in the third person that the results show a transition from a single day of deals to an entire shopping season. Likewise, contactless transactions experienced a 30% year-over-year increase on Black Friday, reflecting a consolidated preference for fast and convenient payment experiences in the local market.
Strengthening security with AI. In terms of cybersecurity, Visa's systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI) identified and blocked 185% more suspicious fraudulent activities in Panama during this season compared to the previous year.
The latest data from Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA) confirm that Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 in Panama showed sustained growth, driven by a longer and more strategic shopping season. Panamanian consumers have proven to be more strategic by taking advantage of early promotions that started on November 21, spreading their spending over several days. The categories with the highest demand during this period included department stores, clothing, and general merchandise. Oscar Marquez, the company's regional head of Risk, explained that fraud has evolved into industrial-scale operations, which has required an investment of over $13 billion in technological infrastructure to stop threats before they affect the end user. The comparative analysis conducted by the consulting team was based on transactions processed through VisaNet, evaluating the behavior of the Panamanian market between November 28 and December 1, 2025, against the comparable periods of 2024.
