The fever for the toothy plush monsters from the Chinese brand Pop Mart has already begun to be exploited by criminals to commit fraud.

According to Kaspersky, an international digital security company, several fake platforms have emerged on the internet presenting themselves as official resellers of Labubu. The scammers attract fans of the figure with misleading promotions to obtain confidential financial data.

These fake sites are available in languages such as Portuguese, Spanish, Hungarian, and French, and mimic the appearance of trusted stores — including that of Pop Mart itself.

"These fraudulent sites often offer tempting discounts or 'exclusive editions' of the figures to lure victims into entering bank card details or other personal information," Kaspersky informed in an official statement.

Kaspersky cited an example of a Portuguese site operated by scammers. The store claimed to be an official reseller of Labubu and offered supposedly original products imported from Japan for just R$ 47.90, a price significantly lower than the official market.

Created by artist and illustrator Kasing Lung and officially sold by Pop Mart, Labubu gained popularity mainly starting in 2023 when it was launched as a keychain. Since then, it has been marketed in various countries and has been seen with celebrities such as Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and members of the group Blackpink.

The success of the figure was so significant that Pop Mart's revenue more than doubled last year, reaching 13.04 billion yuan (US$ 1.81 billion, or R$ 9.9 billion).

This growth was mainly driven by plush toy sales, which increased by over 1,200% and now account for almost 22% of total revenue.

Most figures sold by Pop Mart cost between US$ 20 and US$ 300 (approximately R$ 110 to R$ 1,643), although special collaborations or limited editions can reach significantly higher prices.

How to protect yourself against these scams?

Fabio Assolini, director of Kaspersky's global research team, warns that consumers should be wary of offers with prices far below market value.

"I always like to reiterate the saying: 'when the donation is too much, the saint distrusts'. We see urgent discount offers all the time, taking advantage of buyers' anxiety to secure rare figures. These fraudulent platforms are now appearing in various languages, which broadens their reach," the executive stated in an official note.

Here are some tips to protect yourself:

  • Prefer official resellers: buy only from authorized and verified stores.

  • Check the website address: before completing the purchase, verify that the URL is legitimate and free of errors or strange symbols.

  • Beware of exaggerated promotions: very low prices or 'exclusive editions' on unknown websites are warning signs.

  • Use digital protection: keep good antivirus or security software to block malicious sites.

  • Never share sensitive data: avoid entering personal or banking information on suspicious pages.