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Cyber security company McAfee said singers
Carly Rae Jepsen, Zayn Malik and Celine Dion were also in the
top five of their annual list because searches for their names
can lead fans to click on suspicious links that expose them to
malware.
It said that searching for "Avril Lavigne free mp3" results in a
22 percent chance of landing on a malicious website.
Lavigne, 32, who found fame in 2002 with the hit single
"Complicated," has been off the celebrity scene for a number of
years because of Lyme disease which she has said left her
bedridden.
However, she said in 2016 that she is planning to release a new
album in 2017 - her first in four years - apparently leading to
increased searches for news about her music.
The 2017 McAfee study was dominated by musicians but actors who
made the top 25 list included "Pitch Perfect" star Anna
Kendrick, Jennifer Lopez and rising star Hailee Steinfeld.
"In today's digital world, we want the latest hit albums,
videos, movies and more immediately available on our devices,"
Gary Davis, McAfee's vice president of global consumer
marketing, said in a statement.
He said consumers should slow down and consider the risks.
"Thinking before clicking goes a long way to stay safe online,"
he said.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Chris Reese)
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