Lily Collins Dethrones Emma Watson as Most Dangerous Celebrity Search

Hollywood star Lily Collins has dethroned Emma Watson as the most "dangerous" celebrity to search for on the internet, according to anti-virus software maker McAfee.

An online search for the 24-year-old actress puts internet users at a one in eight risk of being directed to a malicious website, said McAfree.

According to the company's Most Dangerous Celebrity study, many cybercriminals use Collins' name along with the words "free app download" or "nude pictures" as a headline-grabber to direct traffic to malicious sites. They then trick a user into downloading a virus or malware.

"We have got used to accessing the latest gossip and pictures of our favourite celebrities on demand," McAfee's Raj Samani said.

"But we need to remember that cyber-criminals take advantage of the latest cultural trends, new movies and hit TV shows to target unsuspecting consumers seeking more information.

"These criminals want to lure us to unsafe sites that can severely infect computers and devices and steal personal data."

Harry Potter star Emma Watson was crowned the most dangerous celebrity to search for in 2012. She has dropped out of the top 10.

Second place in this year's woman-dominated list is singer Avril Lavigne. Actress Sandra Bullock came in third.

American actor Jon Hamm was the only male celebrity in the top 10.

The top 10 most dangerous celebrities to search for on the web:

1. Lily Collins

2. Avril Lavigne

3. Sandra Bullock

4. Kathy Griffin

5. Zoe Saldana

6. Katy Perry

7. Britney Spears