Some of the celebs whose names are most often used in online scams are Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift, and Johnny Depp.

McAfee, a computer security company, posted its annual list (below) of the top 10 celebrity names whose search results are most often hacked by thieves who want to steal money from fans who don’t know what’s going on.

The actors’ likenesses are being used without their permission in scams that offer deals on celebrity-backed goods, movie or song downloads, cryptocurrency investments, or tickets to very popular concerts. Scammers also use deepfake videos of the stars that look real to get fans to give them their bank account information or let them install malware on their devices that could steal their identities.
“The risks are rising because cybercriminals are using advanced AI tools to make scams more convincing,” said Abhishek Karnik, head of threat research at McAfee, a company that sells security software and a deepfake detector. “Celebrity names are the perfect bait for curious consumers.” “That’s why people need to be careful and think before they click.” AI-made material isn’t always bad, but it is getting harder to tell the difference between real and fake.

Here is a list of the famous people whose names and pictures were most often used in online scams this year, all without their permission. It also says what kind of scam the names were used for. The celebrities are more varied than you might think. There are older male artists, younger female stars, and singers with a lot of teenage fans.

1. Scarlett Johansson: The title and picture of the Black Widow star were used in ads and endorsements. Johansson has also spoken out against AI-generated content that is made without permission. She has promised to sue OpenAI for allegedly copying and imitating her voice.

2. Kylie Jenner: The name and picture of the reality star and social media influencer were used for fake Kylie Cosmetics goods and websites and social media giveaway scams.

3. Taylor Swift: The famous singer’s name and image were used for fake endorsements, ticket scams, and product giveaway scams, as well as to spread false information (for example, Donald Trump shared an AI fake that said Swift had backed him).

4. Anya Taylor-Joy: her name and picture have been used in a gift scam, and fake Queen’s Gambit sequel news was spread on her Twitter/X account.

5. The name and picture of Oscar winner Tom Hanks have been used to sell “miracle cures and wonder drugs.”

6. Sabrina Carpenter: The singer of “Espresso” has had her name and image used in fake ticket scams and to promote an app that lets you make sexually explicit pictures.

7. Sydney Sweeney: The name and picture of the “Anyone but You” star have been used in cryptocurrency scams.

8. Blake Lively: The name of the star from “It Ends With Us” was used in a scam for weight loss gummies.

9. Johnny Depp: The voice of the Pirates of the Caribbean star has been used in giveaway, cryptocurrency, and charity scams without his approval.

10. Addison Rae: The singer of “Diet Pepsi” has had her picture used without her approval for fake endorsements, giveaways, and cryptocurrency scams.