Why Adele is the most DANGEROUS name to search online – while looking up Gordon Ramsay or David Attenborough could also land you in hot water
She is one of Britain’s most popular singers and has scored huge number one hits with singles such as ‘Easy on Me’ and ‘Someone Like You’.
But Adele can now add a more dubious accolade to her collection as she is listed as the most dangerous celebrity you can look up online.
According to cybersecurity company McAfee, searching for Adele’s name yields more links to malware and scams than any other artist.
However, it’s not just Adele that you need to be careful when Googling.
Experts warn that looking up Gordon Ramsay, David Attenborough or Taylor Swift could also land you in hot water.
Be careful when searching for these ten celebrities as cybersecurity company McAfee reveals their names are often linked to scams and malware
Cybersecurity experts are warning that the names of the biggest celebrities are being used to trick consumers into disclosing their personal information online.
Searching for celebrities often redirects you to sites that trick you into giving away your data or downloading malware.
Researchers examined how many risky links were returned in a search for some of the biggest stars to create a ‘risk score’ for each.
Following the popularity of her Vegas and Munich residencies, Adele has become the most popular name used to deceive fans.
McAfee researchers warn that hackers have created fraudulent content and websites linked to the star offering ticket deals that are too good to be true.
Vonny Gamot, McAfee’s head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: ‘It is easy for individuals to fall into the trap of clicking on malicious links, tricked by clickbait content such as free tickets or free downloads, especially when a celebrity’s likeness is used.”
But it’s not just artists who are being used to cover up scams, as Gordon Ramsay and David Attenborough were found to be the second and third riskiest searches.
Adele was the most dangerous celebrity to search for as experts revealed that looking up the singer revealed more risky connections than any other celebrity.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has become the second riskiest star to search for as scammers use his recognizable name to trick consumers into giving away their information
Taylor Swift, whose wildly popular Era’s Tour has made her fans a likely target for ticket scams, came fourth, followed closely by Jeremy Clarkson in fifth.
While this mix of very different celebrities may be unusual, cybercriminals are looking to take advantage of celebrities who are highly trusted by the British public.
This explains why rooting for David Attenborough, Martin Lewis and Alison Hammond can be just as risky as superstars like Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa.
However, falling for one of these scams can lead to more than just missing out on concert tickets.
Following a link to a fraudulent website, consumers may be asked to enter their payment information to purchase tickets or download software to access the site.
This allows a hacker to install malware on his victim’s computer and collect his personal information to make a profit.
McAfee says 40 percent of people who fell for the scam ended up paying more than £1,000 ($1,310), while another six percent lost £5,000 to £15,000 ($6,500-$1,970).
To make matters worse, experts warn that AI is now driving a wave of deepfake-powered celebrity scams.
Ms. Gamot says, “Imagine a world where your favorite celebrity stars in an ad they’ve never filmed, or a politician gives a speech they’ve never given.
“That’s the reality we live in.”
Scammers are creating deepfaked images and videos of celebrities, making fraudulent sites even harder to detect and allowing criminals to spread false information, deliver malware, promote counterfeit products and cheat people out of their money or personal information.
The popularity of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour meant her fans were likely targeted by ticket scams that convinced people to give up their payment information. Taylor Swift (pictured) was the fourth most dangerous celebrity to search for and the second most risky musician
To ensure you stay safe while searching for your favorite celebrity, Ms. Gamot says it’s important to be careful about what you click on.
Beware of offers that seem too good to be true and refrain from illegally streaming or downloading files, such as leaked albums or movies that appear online.
‘If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. To protect their online privacy and identity, consumers must remain vigilant,” said Ms. Gamot.
If you follow a link to a site that seems suspicious, be careful not to “log in” or provide any additional information.
Be aware that deep fakes can be personalized to target you, so be wary of anything that looks like a personal message from a famous person and avoid downloading videos from untrusted sources.