The Hacker Celebrity Hotlist 2024: Cyber ​​fraudsters prefer to abuse the names of these 10 German stars

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CURRENT FRAUD WARNINGS

Cyber ​​criminals are only too happy to exploit the popularity of celebrities to lure you into a trap. Who is number one in Germany might surprise you.

Heidi Klum is not in first place, but is in the top 5. (Source: imagepressagency /depositphotos.com)

Whether we want to admit it or not, prominent personalities constantly accompany us in everyday life. Be it on the radio, television or in the wake of the latest gossip. With this omnipresence, likeable stars conveyed a certain trustworthiness. Products that these famous people promote or recommend benefit from this and usually sell better.

Not only product manufacturers know about this effect, but also cyber criminals. They are only too happy to misuse the name of stars to trap unsuspecting victims in scams. The fraudsters want to lure you to fake shops and phishing sites in order to get your data and money. The spread of malware is also not uncommon.

Danger from deepfakes

The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) poses a major threat to this type of fraud. Cybercriminals are using increasingly sophisticated AI to develop even more sophisticated fraud attempts. These are difficult to identify as such.

AI-powered deepfake technology is particularly popular when it comes to misusing prominent names. In no time, artificial intelligence can imitate the voices of stars or even create videos with them and have the celebrities say anything.

According to a study by McAfee, one of the world’s leading providers of online security, 21 percent of Germans have come across a video, image or recording of a celebrity that they thought was real. The result was financial damage.

Targeting celebrity news consumers

To protect you from a nasty surprise, McAfee annually checks which celebrities are the most frequently used for scams. This is also intended to create awareness of the danger.

According to a survey by Postbank, Germans spend an average of 69 hours online per week. Celebrity content is widespread there and has a strong appeal. Many people want to stay informed about their favorite celebrities and often ignore safety. A big problem, says Vonny Gamot, Head of EMEA at McAfee.

Added to this, both fast pace and convenience often take precedence over privacy in today’s culture, which is why many users click on pop-ups or suspicious links to get the latest celebrity news.

Vonny Gamot

Top 10 hacker celebrity hotlist: Germany

You should pay particular attention to links and websites related to the following ten celebrities. Fraudsters may want to take your money out of your pocket with fake concert tickets or crypto scams.

  1. Helene Fischer: With more than 18 million records sold, she is one of the most commercially successful singers in Germany and one of the highest-earning musicians in the world.
  2. Nina Chuba: aspiring singer and actress.
  3. Matthias Schweighöfer: Acclaimed actor, producer and director (“Army of the Dead”).
  4. Heidi Klum: Well-known model and presenting host of “Germany’s Next Top Model”
  5. Lena Meyer-Landrut: Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 and judge of the TV show “The Voice Kids”.
  6. Günther Jauch: Renowned television presenter, including the successful TV show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”.
  7. Klaas Heufer circulation: prominent TV presenter of the show “Late Night Berlin”.
  8. Thomas Gottschalk: prominent TV icon.
  9. Barbara Schöneberger: Presenter, actress, model and singer.
  10. Dieter Bohlen: Music producer, juror on “DSDS” and former member of the band Modern Talking.

With international stars, the danger is of course correspondingly greater. The scams are much more advanced because the fraudsters know that they can use them to rip off millions of victims. McAfee has also created a list for the USA. The names and likenesses of the affected personalities have already been misused to sell fake tickets, spread fake news and all kinds of scams. Last year Ryan Gosling was at number one.

Top 10 Hacker Celebrity Hotlist: USA

  1. Scarlett Johansson
  2. Kylie Jenner
  3. Taylor Swift
  4. Anya Taylor Joy
  5. Tom Hanks
  6. Sabrina Carpenter
  7. Sydney Sweeney
  8. Blake Lively
  9. Johnny Depp
  10. Addison Rae

This is how you protect yourself

Protecting yourself against the cyber threat is easier than you might initially think. Be sure to pay attention to what you click. You should always stay away from unknown links. Also check social media profiles for authenticity and avoid illegal streaming and downloading suspicious files. Scams can often be found on the relevant sites.

Antivirus programs in comparison: Our test winners promise the highest level of security

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To help you immediately detect deepfakes and other AI-generated content in the future, McAfee recently launched the Smart AI Hub. On this page you can have the content in question checked.

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