As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, experts warn about the dangers of using pirate websites to watch matches. These fraudulent platforms aim to steal personal data from users in Colombia and Latin America.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will draw more than 6 billion viewers via television and streaming services, according to the organization. In Colombia, six out of 10 people will follow the tournament from home, according to the firm Netquest.
Cybercriminals exploit the high demand to capture sensitive information through pirate sites. They use forms requesting personal data and offer downloads of players or extensions that install viruses.
A Kaspersky study of 1,559 mobile device users in Latin America found that four out of 10 people do not recognize fake websites. Analyst Leandro Cuzzo noted that the effectiveness of these pages stems from social engineering combined with increasingly convincing appearances of legitimacy.
Recommendations include using only official platforms, checking URLs before entering data and avoiding downloads from unknown links.
