Hackers use celebrity image SEO to spread scareware

Graham Cluley
Graham Cluley
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 @grahamcluley.com
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Scareware, the fake anti-virus programs which try and frighten you into reaching deep into your wallet, have been one of the biggest security stories of the last twelve months.

By displaying bogus security warnings their intention is to panic you into purchasing a product you don’t need, or install a malicious program you don’t want.

Late last week, Paul Baccas (aka ‘pob’) of SophosLabs found out that scareware scammers were using search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques in combination with photographs of celebrities like Warren Beatty and Shania Twain in their attempts to steal money.

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Below you’ll find a video made by Paul demonstrating the problem in regards to “Beaches” actress Barbara Hershey, and make sure to also read the additional information he has posted on the SophosLabs blog.


Graham Cluley is an award-winning keynote speaker who has given presentations around the world about cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. A veteran of the computer security industry since the early 1990s, he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows, makes regular media appearances, and hosts the popular "Smashing Security" podcast. Follow him on LinkedIn, Bluesky and Mastodon, or drop him an email.

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