New Delhi: Cyber criminals are leveraging on the popularity of fictional superheroes such as Superman and Aquaman for stealing personal data of users through malicious softwares, a study by security solutions provider McAfee said.

In the study of superheroes that result in the greatest number of 'infected' sites when users searches for them online, Aquaman was found the most toxic superhero with 18.6 per cent chances of landing on a website that has been tested positive for online threats.

With the resurgence of superheroes into mainstream movies, "hackers are leveraging their popularity to target consumers", the study said.

Fans searching for content related to superheroes like Superman and Iron Man are at risk of running into online threats designed to steal personal information, it said.

"Hackers are most successful when they can attract a large number of victims. One way to target big crowds online is to track current events everything from celebrity meltdowns and natural disasters to holidays and popular music and now, superheroes," the study said.

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