Millions of Brazilians were jolted awake by a sudden 'alien invasion' phone alert at around 1:30am on 19 and 20 June, after emergency systems in cities including Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro broadcast alarming messages claiming extraterrestrials had arrived.
The news came after years of fascination with UFO sightings and speculation about extraterrestrial life, but this incident had a far more immediate and disruptive effect. Residents of Brazil reported their phones emitting the same shrill tone typically reserved for extreme weather or civil defence warnings, lending an unsettling credibility to what quickly proved to be a hoax.
