Emma Watson fans, beware! The star of Harry Potter is now the most dangerous celebrity on the internet, according to The Washington Post . Sneaky individuals who love to lure folks onto nefarious websites are attempting to cash in on the young lady’s popularity by peppering their pages with Watson-related content. One second you’re looking at an image from The Perks of Being a Wallflower , the next you’re spending several hours attempting to remove unwanted malware from your PC.
CBS News reports that Watson fanatics have a one-in-eight chance of landing on a site designed specifically to cause endless stress and frustration. Last year, this title was held by model and Project Runway host Heidi Klum. In addition to Watson, Jessica Biel, Eva Mendes, Selena Gomez, and Halle Berry are reportedly on the list of dangerous celebrities.
This information comes straight from American security company McAfee, folks who know a thing or two about the mayhem cyber criminals can wreak. According to the experts, female celebrities are utilized far more often than their male counterparts. In fact, late-night chat show host Jimmy Kimmel was the only guy in the top 20.
A word to the wise: If the Emma Watson website you’re visiting demands that you download their software, chances are these people are not your friends. Unless you’re interested in having all sorts of personal information stolen by complete strangers, try to avoid installing anything you haven’t properly researched beforehand. The company wrote in a recent blog post :
“Cybercriminals follow the latest trends, often using the names of popular celebrities to lure people to sites that are actually laden with malicious software that are designed to steal passwords and personal information. Anyone looking for the latest videos or files to download could end up with a malware-ridden computer along with the trendy content.”
In other words, a person should probably be very careful when they’re looking for pictures of Emma Watson, especially if the website promises all sorts of naughty content.