Published: November 10, 2020 on our newsletter Security Fraud News & Alerts Newsletter.
In the U.S., we love our celebrities and we love knowing what they're up to. But sometimes they are used as bait for various phishing and other cybersecurity scams. Recently, antivirus software firm McAfee published its “2020 Most Dangerous Celebrities” list. The list ranks the “danger” of a celebrity by the amount of malicious results generated by a search of their name online. The more results, the more likely their names and likenesses may be used in scams, malvertising, and for other nefarious purposes online.
McAfee warns that cyber criminals use the allure of celebrities to trick people into clicking dangerous links. Often these links are “advertised” on social media, but behind them are scams, malware, or other ways the criminals try to steal information and identities.
This year, getting the top honors for the most dangerous celebrity in the United States is the popular actor, Anna Kendrik. It’s unclear that she would consider this an honor, if she knew about it.
Some tips to avoiding becoming a victim of celebrity click bait fraud:
Always use caution when clicking around on the Internet. If you’re not sure where the link or advertisement will lead, just don’t click it.
If you want to click an ad, make sure the link is legitimate before typing any information into it.
Be sure to keep your antivirus solution updated. And if you don’t have a product on all of your devices, get on that right now.
Don’t use illegal streaming services. It’s very risky and well…illegal. Just don’t.
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