The number of fraudulent websites posing as sellers of the viral Bonbon Drop stickers has been increasing, with as many as 532 detected so far, according to cybersecurity firm Trend Micro.

First launched in March 2024 by Osaka-based stationery maker Q-Lia, the stickers, dubbed Bondoro, are known for their raised, glossy texture and detailed finish and have helped fuel a broader boom in Japan¡¯s sticker market.

The stickers have become wildly popular among children and young women through trading and collecting, and are consistently sold out both online and in stores.

Trend Micro discovered a fraudulent site claiming to sell Bondoro for the first time in March 2025, but the cases were limited to a few per month until November. That pace accelerated to 67 sites in January, 251 in February and 178 in March, bringing the cumulative total to 532.

Some sites are listing single sheets of counterfeit stickers for more than ?13,600 ($85).

Many of the fraudulent sites closely mimic legitimate e-commerce platforms, making them difficult to identify based on appearance alone, according to the firm. Some use product images copied from other websites, while others appear prominently in search results.

Trend Micro warned that consumers who purchase from such sites risk receiving counterfeit or unrelated goods ¡ª or nothing at all ¡ª and may also expose personal information entered during transactions.

The company urged users to avoid clicking on unsolicited links to shopping sites and to be cautious of listings for items that are typically difficult to obtain.

Q-Lia has also issued warnings, noting that counterfeit products can sometimes be identified by foreign-language labeling on the back of packaging.

Surging demand for the stickers has forced retailers to adjust sales methods and curb reselling. Loft, a major lifestyle goods retailer, was forced to temporarily halt sales of the stickers at all of its stores and online in February after crowds overwhelmed retail locations, and introduced an advance lottery sale in March. Retail chain Shimamura has limited sales of the stickers to only some physical locations since February, after a surge of online traffic for preorders caused its site to crash.