LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Before you log on and start searching for Brad Pitt or Beyonce online, a computer security company has one word of advice – beware.

Brad and Beyonce have been dubbed the most dangerous celebrities to lookup online, thanks to cybercriminals using their names to plant viruses in users’ computers, according to security software company McAfee Inc.

Fans who go looking for info or photos on these stars have an 18 percent chance of having their computers infected with a virus or harmful or hacking programs, the company announced, according to a Reuters report.

“Cybercriminals employ numerous methods, yet one of the simplest but most effective ways is to trick consumers into infecting themselves by capitalizing on Americans’ interest in celebrity gossip,” said Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee’s Product Development & Avert Labs. “Tapping into current events, pop culture or commonly browsed sites is an easy way to achieve this.”

But Brad and Beyonce aren’t the only stars being targeted by cybercriminals.
Justin Timberlake, Heidi Montag, Angelina Jolie, Mariah Carey, Jessica Alba, Rihanna and George Clooney are also among the most dangerous celebrities to search online, according to McAfee Inc.

The viruses often attached to Web pages or photos of these stars aren’t just harmful to computers, they can often by used to obtain personal information about the user.

Green cited the public’s obsession with celebrity as the reason why these topics become easy topics to target.

“We have to take precautions in casually navigating the Web since many subtle sites may be rife with malware for consumers’ computers,” he noted.

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