McAfee, the US-based online security company, recently identified well-known celebrities whose names are frequently exploited by scammers to lead users to malware or malicious websites when they search online.
According to a study published by McAfee Labs, Canadian actor Ryan Gosling is at the top of the list of celebrities whose names are used the most by cybercriminals in online scams. Actress Emily Blunt, tech mogul Elon Musk, and rapper Bad Bunny are also among the celebrities whose names could lead you to harmful websites when you search for them online.
This study is an update of McAfee’s 15-year tradition of identifying celebrity names most associated with malware and risky websites in online searches, which could lead consumers to unknowingly install malware and jeopardize their data, privacy, and identity.
Top Ten on McAfee’s Hacker Celebrity Hot List
– Ryan Gosling, critically acclaimed actor and star of this summer’s hit film, Barbie
– Emily Blunt, critically acclaimed actress and star of this summer’s hit film, Oppenheimer
– Jennifer Lopez, pop culture icon, critically acclaimed singer, actress and producer
– Zendaya, critically acclaimed actress and singer
– Kevin Costner, critically acclaimed actor and director, and star of the hit series, Yellowstone
– Elon Musk, business magnate and tech entrepreneur
– Al Roker, TODAY’s weather man, author, and journalist
– Margot Robbie, critically acclaimed actress and star of this summer’s hit film, Barbie
– Bad Bunny, critically acclaimed singer, and the first non-English language singer to be named as Spotify’s most streamed artist of the year.
– America Ferrera, critically acclaimed actress and noted supporting star of this summer’s hit film, Barbie
This year’s riskiest celebrities include some of the most talked about sports stars and athletes. Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi comes in at No.18 on the list, followed closely by Tom Brady at No.19, Travis Kelce at No.22 (ahead of Taylor Swift who comes in at No.25), Steph Curry at No.23, Aaron Rodgers at No.31, and Serena Williams at No.32.
The updated list shows how the world of online security has changed, especially due to the growth of artificial intelligence. Cybercriminals are now using AI to create more complex and diverse scams, including those that use celebrity names for harmful purposes.
How to spot celebrity scams?
– Be careful what you click: Users looking for the must-see movies or updates on their favorite celebrities should be cautious and only click on links to reliable sources. The safest thing to do is to wait for official releases and leverage legitimate movie streaming platforms, instead of visiting third-party websites that could contain malware.
– Refrain from illegal streaming and downloading suspicious mp3s.
– Only download videos from well-known, legitimate sites. Don’t download anything from a website you don’t trust — especially video – even if it looks like a personal message that Ryan Gosling wants to send you, take a step back and make sure it’s a reputable site.
Don’t “log in" or provide other information. If you receive a message, text or email, or visit a third-party website that asks for your information — including your credit card, email, home address, or social media login — to grant access to an exclusive story, don’t give it out.
Such requests are a common tactic for phishing that could lead to identity theft.
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