Cybercriminals are using the names of well-known Indian celebrities to trick people online. They create fake movies, fake websites, and trick games that claim to have famous actors like Diljit Dosanjh, Alia Bhatt, and Orry (Orhan Awatramani) in them. These scams have the potential to cause people to lose money or have their personal information stolen. The 2024 McAfee Celebrity Hacker Hotlist features Indian superstars whose names hackers most frequently use to trick internet users.
At the top of the list is Orhan Awatramani (Orry), followed by Diljit Dosanjh and Alia Bhatt.
This annual research demonstrates how hackers use public persons’ notoriety to build phony websites and schemes that compromise personal information and result in identity theft, financial losses, and data breaches.
According to the survey, scammers target celebrities who are becoming viral or who are seeing a spike in popularity. Because of his unexpected notoriety and connections to other prominent people, Orry’s name has become a favorite among cybercriminals. Diljit Dosanjh’s reputation has also been damaged by his upcoming Dil-Luminati concert tour, primarily as a result of ticket scams. Parallel to this, Alia Bhatt has seen several cases of deepfake, which is the spread of misleading information through material produced by artificial intelligence.
McAfee points out that con artists are finding it simpler to produce phony content featuring celebrities due to the increasing usage of deepfakes and generative AI. These can be completely made-up pictures, movies, or audio samples that have the appearance or sound of the actual thing. Notably, it has been incorrectly claimed that Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh support political parties.
According to a recent McAfee survey, 75% of Indians have been across deepfakes, and 80% of them are now more concerned about them than they were a year ago. 31% of people who fell for the deep fake fraud reported losing money because they thought they were seeing or listening to real celebrity recordings, while 57% of those who fell for the scam thought they were. Some victims of voice cloning and other AI-driven frauds have lost more than ₹800,000. These schemes have caused enormous financial harm.
India’s top ten McAfee names include a combination of well-known and up-and-coming names:
Orry Dosanjh, aka Orhan Awatramani Alia Singh and Diljit Bhaat Cricketer Ranveer Cricketer
Virat Kohli
Tendulkar Sachin starring Khan Shah Rukh Padukone Deepika
Amir Khan
Mahendra Singh and Dhoni
McAfee suggests the following actions to guarantee online safety:
Use caution and only click on links from reputable sources when you visit them, especially if you’re looking for concert tickets or celebrity news. Steer clear of anything illicit to download since pirated movies and music could be infected with malware.
Never divulge personal information. It is advisable to avoid visiting third-party websites that request credit card details or login credentials. Use caution when clicking links; only do it from reputable sources, particularly if you’re looking for concert tickets or celebrity news.
Steer clear of illicit downloads: pirated films and music can include malware. Don’t divulge private information. Third-party websites that request credit card numbers or login credentials should be avoided.
Put robust security to use. Programs like McAfee Total Protection can identify and block dubious websites. Check the content on social media: Never share or engage with startling statements without first verifying them. Identify deepfakes by searching for odd audio-lip sync, irregular blinking, or other visual cues in videos.