Madonna and actress Salma Hayek have been targeted as victims of swine flu in a hoax to spread a computer virus.

A pair of spam messages with the headlines “Madonna/Salma Hayek caught swine flu” will activate harmful computer viruses that cause damage to PCs when opened, according to anti-virus software company McAfee.

Inboxes around the globe have been flooded with the mail and gossip junkies are being advised not to open the emails.

“We see attackers all the time trying to trick us into infecting ourselves through the use of current affairs and popular topics…and here’s a big celebrity who people want to follow the gossip from.”