BRICS leaders adopt Delhi declaration to combat rising cross-border payment fraud

During the 18th BRICS summit, member countries signed the New Delhi Declaration, marking the first time the forum has formally addressed the rapid growth of organised cross-border payment fraud. The text cites the exploitation of digital technologies to target vulnerable individuals and calls for urgent, coordinated international measures to dismantle criminal networks, trace and recover stolen funds, and safeguard victims.

Signatories—including Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates—also pledged to boost cooperation on digital financial security and to prevent fraud in cross-border payment systems. In addition, the declaration affirms a commitment to ensure fair, secure and inclusive access to frontier AI technologies. It stresses the importance of joint cyber-exercises and practical collaboration to strengthen cyber resilience across the financial sector. The joint statement reflects a growing consensus among BRICS members that coordinated action is essential to curb the threat posed by transnational fraud rings.