2026 World Cup album: around 164 fake websites identified
Amid the recent release of the 2026 World Cup album, a wave of scams emerged on the internet and have affected people throughout Latin America, mainly in Brazil.
According to a survey by Kaspersky - a cyber security company - between April 23 and May 20, more than 144 fraudulent websites were registered, an increase of 620% compared to the balance carried out at the beginning of last month, when there were only 20 pages.
In total, 164 domains that simulate the official sales page for World Cup products were identified.
According to Kaspersky, the websites show options with prices well below the market, with different product options such as hardcover albums, sticker packs with different quantities and even sticker pack combos with albums.
On some pages, it is possible to find fake offers for 10 packs of stickers for R$34.90. The value of an official package is R$7, as already announced by Panini.
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The pages simulate in detail a legitimate "e-commerce", displaying free shipping, "Add to cart" buttons and fields for calculating shipping, as well as a "Related Products" section with several items. To give false credibility, the footer of one of the sites included "Customer Center", a contact email and even a CNPJ and address.
At the payment stage, victims are directed to Pix, generally forwarding the amounts to "orange" accounts. After the transfer, the money is usually quickly spread across several accounts, making it difficult for victims to recover the amounts.
Check out tips below to avoid the scam:
- Use only official channels: access the album sales website by typing the address directly into the browser and avoid clicking on links received via social networks, emails or messages;
- Check the website domain: small variations in the address may indicate fake pages;
- Set up consumption alerts at your bank: receiving immediate notifications via SMS or email allows you to have control over every movement made with your card.
Source: CNN