Cyber fraud scams surge ahead of 2026 World Cup and PayPal users

Security experts warned that the lead‑up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is prompting a wave of fake streaming apps and pirated‑content sites that can infect personal devices and, through them, corporate networks. Hesron Hori, director of risk assessment at Under Protection, said: “Today, the same phone used for personal consumption often stores corporate authentications, and when it is compromised the entry point can affect the company’s operation.”

Separately, Portugal’s Prosecutor‑General Office’s cybercrime unit issued an alert about telephone scams posing as PayPal support. Victims receive recorded calls claiming a suspicious purchase of crypto assets and are prompted to press a key, after which a fake “PayPal employee” tries to install software to gain remote access to the victim’s computer and capture credentials. The notice urged people not to share personal or payment data and to avoid installing any software suggested over the phone.