Jackie Chan death reports--sometimes used to spam Facebook malware--have circulated widely for the past several months, but the martial arts actor is still alive.
The rumor has been spread via fake news websites and Facebook accounts saying “RIP Jackie Chan,” prompting him to release a photo saying he’s still alive several months ago.
Like fake reports about Chan’s death, false news about celebrities are used to spread malware on Facebook and other means.
McAfee wrote this month that Lily Collins was ranked as the most dangerous celebrity to search for online. The “Mirror, Mirror” and “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” star gave users the greatest risk of getting malware, it added.
Last year, Emma Watson topped the list, said McAfee.
Sandra Bullock, Kathy Griffin, Zoe Saldana, and Avril Lavigne were in the top five this year.
Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Jon Hamm, Adriana Lima, and Emma Roberts were next, said McAfee.
McAfee says that do not log in or provide other information when searching. “If you receive a message, text or email or visit a third-party website that asks for your information—credit card, email, home address, Facebook login, or other information—for access to an exclusive story, don’t give it out. Such requests are a common tactic for phishing that could lead to identity theft,” it writes.
It adds not to download videos from suspect sites. “Most news clips you'd want to see can easily be found on official video sites, and don’t require you to download anything. If a website offers an exclusive video for you to download, don’t,” it writes.
McAfee also said that established news sites will not try to grab people with excludes because there “usually aren’t any.”
And “free downloads” from Facebook or websites accessed through search engines are the easiest ways to get a virus.
Also, beware of anything that prompts one to download anything before providing content.
