McAfee revealed today that the most dangerous celebrity to search for online is American actress Alexis Bledel.
An annual study by the security software company into which celebrity-based internet searches expose users to the most risk found more malicious websites, malware, and other risky outcomes linked to Bledel than to any other famous person.
Bledel became a household name for her long-running role as Rory Gilmore in famously fast-talking comedy-drama Gilmore Girls. More recently, the Texas-born actress has graced TV screens as Ofglen in The Handmaid's Tale and has appeared on the big screen in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies.
The second most dangerous celebrity in the hunt for online gossip was British comedian and actor and host of the Late Late Night talk show, James Corden OBE.
Threat actors setting online traps for adoring fans of the rich and famous showed a slight preference for using female celebrities as bait. Of the top ten most dangerous stars to search for online identified by McAfee, six are women.
Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner made the list at number 3, followed by actresses Anna Kendrick and Lupita Nyong'o. Rapper Nicki Minaj came in at 9, and Tessa Thompson, known for her role as Marvel's first LGBTQ superhero, was listed as number 10.
Male celebrities who proved popular with threat actors were comedian and former SNL star Jimmy Fallon, who was number 6 on the list; martial arts master Jackie Chan, who came in at 7; and finally American rapper Lil Wayne, who was named the eighth most dangerous.
Unlike 2018’s list of most dangerous celebrities, reality TV stars ranked low on this year’s list. Kristin Cavallari and Kourtney Kardashian, who made last year’s top 10, have now dropped to numbers 214 and 222, respectively.
"Consumers may not be fully aware that the searches they conduct pose risk, nor may they understand the detrimental effects that can occur when personal information is compromised in exchange for access to their favorite celebrities, movies, TV shows, or music," said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee.
"Criminals use deceptive websites to dupe unsuspecting consumers into accessing malicious files or content. It is essential that consumers learn to protect their digital lives from lurking cyber-criminals by thinking twice before they click on suspicious links or download content."