Jason Merritt/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Watch out! Security software company McAfee has released its annual list of the world’s “most dangerous celebrities.”
This doesn’t mean the list of celebrities who are most likely to literally injure or kill you, though: It’s the celebrities who’ll most likely lead you to get malware or a virus if you search for them online.
The more popular a celebrity is online, the more likely that scammers will find a way to attach malware to searches containing their names.
The number-one most dangerous celebrity this year is Anna Kendrick, possibly because of her role in the Trolls movie sequel, Trolls World Tour. Number two is Sean “Diddy” Combs, followed by Blake Lively.
Elsewhere on the list of the top 10 “most dangerous” for 2020: Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake and Jason Derulo. All of those singers have made news in one way or another over the past few months, whether it’s the release of Mariah’s book and Rarities album, Taylor’s surprise drop of her album folklore, Justin’s “secret” new baby or Jason’s massive success on Tik Tok.
The list also includes Jimmy Kimmel, Julia Roberts and Kate McKinnon.
And according to McAfee, the COVID-19 quarantine has made searching for celebrities even more perilous.
“Consumers are searching the web for free online entertainment now more than ever,” says a McAfee exec in a statement.
“And as cybercriminals continue to implement deceptive practices such as fake sites claiming to offer free content, it is crucial that fans stay vigilant about protecting their digital lives and think twice before clicking.”
By Andrea Dresdale
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