Technology

Google issues warning on fake VPN apps

Published

2 months ago

November 23, 2025

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Google is sounding the alarm for Android users after uncovering a wave of fake VPN apps that sneak malware onto phones and tablets. These dangerous apps pose as privacy tools but hide info stealers, banking trojans and remote access malware designed to loot personal data.

More people are relying on VPNs to protect their privacy, secure home networks and shield personal information while using public Wi-Fi. Attackers know this demand is growing. They use it to lure users into downloading convincing VPN lookalikes that contain hidden malware.

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Fake VPN apps are spreading across Android devices by posing as trusted privacy tools. (iStock)

How fake VPN apps lure users

Cybercriminals create malicious VPN apps that impersonate trusted brands. They use sexually suggestive ads, geopolitical headlines or fake privacy claims to push people into quick downloads. Google says many of these campaigns run across app stores and shady websites.

DELETE THE FAKE VPN APP STEALING ANDROID USERS’ MONEY

Once installed, these apps inject malware that steals passwords, messages and financial details. Attackers can hijack accounts, drain bank balances or lock devices with ransomware. Some campaigns even use professional ad creatives and influencer-style promotions to appear legitimate.

Scammers now use AI tools to design ads, phishing pages and fake brands with alarming speed. This gives them the power to reach large groups of victims with very little effort.

Why malicious VPN apps are spreading

Fake VPN apps remain one of the most effective tools for attackers. These apps request sensitive permissions and often run silently in the background. Once active, they can collect browsing data, cryptocurrency wallet details or private messages.

According to Google, the most dangerous apps pretend to be known enterprise VPNs or premium privacy tools. Many promote themselves through adult ads, push notifications and cloned social media accounts.

How to recognize a genuine VPN app

Google recommends installing VPN services only from trusted sources. In Google Play, legitimate VPNs include a verified VPN badge to show that the app passed an authenticity check.

A real VPN will never ask for access to your contacts, photos or private messages. It will not ask you to sideload updates or follow outside links for installation.

Be careful with free VPN claims. Many free privacy tools rely on excessive data collection or hide malware inside downloadable files.

Ways to stay safe from fake VPN apps

Staying ahead of these fake VPN scams starts with a few smart habits that make your device much harder for attackers to target.

1) Download only from official app stores

Stick to the Google Play Store. Avoid links from ads, pop-ups or messages that try to rush you. Many fake VPN campaigns depend on off-platform downloads because they cannot pass the Play Store security checks.

2) Look for the VPN badge in Google Play

Google now includes a special VPN badge that verifies an app has passed an authenticity review. This badge confirms that the developer followed strict guidelines and that the app went through additional screening.

If you want a reliable VPN that has already been vetted for security and performance, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

3) Use a data removal service

Malicious VPN apps often target information already floating around the web, including your email, phone number and personal details exposed through data brokers. A trusted data removal service can help pull your information from people-search sites and broker databases, which reduces the amount of data scammers can use against you. This limits the damage if a fake VPN app steals your info or if attackers try to match stolen data with public records to build convincing scams.

CAN YOU BE TRACKED WHEN USING A VPN?

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Once installed, these lookalike VPN apps steal passwords, messages and financial details. (iStock)

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com

4) Turn on Google Play Protect and use a strong antivirus software

Google Play Protect, which is built-in malware protection for Android devices, automatically removes known malware. However, it is important to note that Google Play Protect may not be enough. Historically, it isn’t 100% foolproof at removing all emerging malware from Android devices.

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer

How to turn it on: Open Google Play Store → Tap your profile icon → Select Play Protect → Tap Settings → Turn on Scan apps with Play Protect → Turn on Improve harmful app detection.

While Google Play Protect offers a helpful first layer of defense, it is not a full antivirus. A strong antivirus software adds another layer of protection. It can block malicious downloads, detect hidden malware and warn you when an app acts in unusual ways. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

5) Review app permissions carefully

A genuine VPN only needs network-related permissions. If a VPN asks for access to photos, contacts or messages, treat it as a major warning sign. Restrict permissions when possible.

6) Avoid sideloading apps from unknown sources

Sideloaded apps bypass Google’s security filters. Attackers often hide malware inside APK files or update prompts that promise extra features. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, sideloading means installing apps outside the Google Play Store, usually by downloading a file from a website, email or message. These apps never go through Google’s safety checks, which makes them far riskier to install.

7) Watch for aggressive ads and scare tactics

Fake VPN ads often claim your device is already infected or that your connection is not secure. Real privacy apps do not use panic-based marketing.

8) Research the developer before downloading

Look up the developer’s website and reviews. A legitimate VPN provider will have a clear privacy policy, customer support and a consistent history of app updates.

9) Be skeptical of anything labeled free

Free VPNs often rely on risky data practices or hide malware. If a service promises premium features at no cost, question how it pays its bills.

DO YOU NEED A VPN AT HOME? HERE ARE 10 REASONS YOU DO

10) Avoid recovery scams after an attack

If someone contacts you claiming they can recover stolen money, cut contact. Real agencies never demand upfront fees and never request remote access to your device.

11) Keep your device updated

Install security patches as soon as they appear. Updates protect your phone from malware strains that rely on old software vulnerabilities.

Scammers now use AI-generated ads and fake brands to trick you into quick downloads. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Kurt’s key takeaways

Fake VPN apps are becoming a major threat to Android users as scammers exploit the rising demand for privacy tools and home network security. Attackers hide behind familiar logos, aggressive ads and AI-powered campaigns to push apps that steal data the moment you install them. Staying safe requires careful downloading habits, attention to permissions and a healthy amount of skepticism toward anything that claims instant privacy or premium features for free.

Do you think Google should do more to block fake VPN apps in the Play Store? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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Technology

It doesn’t matter if Alex Pretti had a gun

Published

6 hours ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

It doesn’t matter if Alex Pretti had a gun

Shortly after federal agents killed Alex Pretti Saturday morning, the Department of Homeland Security began to run with the story that the dead man had been armed and dangerous. He had a gun, DHS said. (A Bellingcat analysis of the video concludes that Pretti was unarmed when he was shot.) He had approached the agents holding the gun, DHS said. (He was holding a phone, The New York Times reports.) Pretti died on his knees, surrounded by armed Border Patrol agents, with shot after shot unloaded in his direction.

America’s Second Amendment is beloved by conservatives. Minnesota allows open carry with a permit. Pretti lived in a city where people are regularly being assaulted and even killed by the masked and armed men he was busy observing. So why has so much ink been spilled over the minutiae of his behavior? Why is it so normal for law enforcement — those who are supposed to be keepers of law and order — to kill Americans? And why is the only question at the end of the day how much their victims deserved to die?

In July 2020, DHS sent in over a hundred federal officers from various agencies to my city of Portland, Oregon. They flooded downtown with a thick fog of brownish tear gas. This didn’t neutralize the crowds — it merely hurt and enraged them. The city understood it was being intentionally tormented by sadists and chose to walk into the tear gas out of spite.

Throughout the protests, politicians and media figures fixated on whether Portland and other cities were the site of “protests” or “riots.” The distinction was drawn solely based on the behavior of the protesters, whose actions were treated as if they occurred in a vacuum. But on the ground in Portland, that felt as if it was missing the point.

The protesters’ actions blurred the definition of nonviolence. They came wearing gas masks and carrying shields. People brought leaf blowers and intentionally blew the tear gas straight back at the agents who threw the canisters. They chucked plastic water bottles at the feds because they hated them and thought it might be funny to bonk them on their militarized helmets. No one was trying to murder the feds, but nevertheless, it was not the same as linking arms and walking down the streets of Selma while singing.

But if a riot was occurring in Portland, the feds had instigated it — preemptively escalating the situation with rubber bullets and pepper balls and gas canisters, weapons that don’t simply blur the definition of “nonlethal” but literally contradict it.

These unequal expectations were unfair to civilians. And they are being applied again, with greater weight and brutality, to the people of Minneapolis.

It is obvious that ICE’s presence in Minnesota is a source of conflict and anxiety. As feds leave disorder and fear in their wake, Minnesotans without training or state-issued protective gear are being asked to behave with greater restraint than the armed agents who are supposed to be upholding the law.

Early reporting would suggest that Pretti was violently killed while engaging nonviolently with federal law enforcement. Videos show that he was holding a phone and moving to help a protester when agents grabbed him by the legs and wrestled him to the ground. The agents shout that he has a gun only after they’ve pinned him to the ground.

Why must the victims of state violence be entrusted with the task of not escalating a situation?

But whatever happened, the physical coordinates of Pretti’s purported gun in the few seconds leading up to his killing are far less relevant than the ongoing siege of the Twin Cities. What, in the face of this aggression, is so relevant about his demeanor or his attitude or how he approached the agents right before his death? Why must the victims of state violence be entrusted with the task of not escalating a situation, when they’re not drawing a salary or health insurance or pension on the taxpayer’s dime?

The people are being charged with keeping the peace, asked to stand firm against the federal agents who are disrupting it. This is a sick form of double taxation — your paycheck gets docked so that a guy in a mask can beat you up while you try to calm him down. “That’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you,” Renee Good told ICE agents moments before they shot her through the side window of her car. Did she deserve to die because she did an inadequate job of tempering their feelings?

What is the point of pinning someone to the ground before pouring pepper spray in his face? What is the point of all of this, except to anger the public, and then to respond to that anger with even more force? ICE, CBP, and Border Patrol have proven themselves incapable of obeying the law, let alone enforcing it for others; unable to self-soothe, let alone keep the peace. ICE and its ilk are not an answer to a problem, but a problem with only one solution. They are malignant, they are worthless, and they should not exist.

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Sarah Jeong

Technology

Smart pill confirms when medication is swallowed

Published

6 hours ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

Smart pill confirms when medication is swallowed

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Remembering to take medication sounds simple. However, missed doses put people at serious health risk every day. Because of that, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a pill that confirms when someone swallows it. As a result, doctors could track treatment more accurately, and patients could stay on schedule more easily. At the same time, the pill safely breaks down inside the body, which helps reduce long-term risk.

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FDA CLEARS FIRST AT-HOME BRAIN DEVICE FOR DEPRESSION

MIT engineers have designed a pill that can report when it has been swallowed. (Mehmet Say)

How the MIT smart pill works

The new system fits inside existing pill capsules. It uses a tiny, biodegradable radio-frequency antenna made from zinc and cellulose. These materials already have strong safety records in medicine. Here is what happens step by step:

You swallow the capsule as usual
The outer coating dissolves in the stomach
The pill releases both the medication and the antenna
The antenna sends a radio signal confirming ingestion

This entire process happens within about 10 minutes. An external receiver, potentially built into a wearable device, detects the signal from up to two feet away.

Designed to break down safely

Previous smart pill designs relied on components that stayed intact as they passed through the digestive system. That raised concerns about long-term safety. The MIT team took a different approach. Nearly all parts of the antenna break down in the stomach within days. Only a tiny off-the-shelf RF chip remains, and it passes naturally through the body. According to lead researcher Mehmet Girayhan Say, the goal is clear. The system avoids long-term buildup while still reliably confirming that a pill was taken.

Who could benefit most from this technology?

This smart pill is not meant for every prescription. Instead, it targets situations where missing medication can be dangerous. Potential beneficiaries include:

Organ transplant patients taking immunosuppressants
People with chronic infections like TB or HIV
Patients with recent stent procedures
Individuals with neuropsychiatric conditions

For these patients, adherence can mean the difference between recovery and serious complications.

BREAKTHROUGH DEVICE PROMISES TO DETECT GLUCOSE WITHOUT NEEDLES

The MIT capsule uses layered materials, including gelatin, cellulose, and metals like molybdenum or tungsten, to prevent any RF signal from transmitting outside the body. (iStock)

What researchers say about the breakthrough pill

Senior author Giovanni Traverso emphasizes that the focus is on patient health. The aim is to support people, not police them. The research team published its findings in Nature Communications and plans further preclinical testing. Human trials are expected next as the technology moves closer to real-world use. This research received funding from Novo Nordisk, MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Gastroenterology and the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

Why medication adherence remains a major problem

Patients failing to take medicine as prescribed contribute to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths each year. It also adds billions of dollars to health care costs. This problem hits hardest when patients must take treatment consistently over long periods. That includes people who have received organ transplants, patients with tuberculosis and those managing complex neurological conditions. For these groups, missing doses can have life-altering consequences.

10 HEALTH TECH PRODUCTS STEALING THE SPOTLIGHT AT CES 2026

Once safely inside the stomach, the pill can activate and communicate internally, reducing privacy risks while enabling more accurate medical tracking. (iStock)

What this means for you

If you or a loved one relies on critical medication, this kind of technology could add an extra layer of safety. It may reduce guesswork for doctors and ease pressure on patients who manage complex treatment plans. At the same time, it raises important questions about privacy, consent and how medical data is shared. Any future rollout will need strong safeguards to protect patients.

For now, until this technology becomes available, you can still stay on track by using the built-in tools on your phone. We break down the best ways to track your meds on iPhone and Android in our step-by-step guide.

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com

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Kurt’s key takeaways

A pill that confirms it was swallowed may sound futuristic, but it addresses a very real problem. By combining simple materials with smart engineering, MIT researchers created a tool that could save lives without lingering in the body. As testing continues, this approach could reshape how medicine is monitored and delivered.

Would you be comfortable taking a pill that reports when you swallow it if it meant better health outcomes? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Technology

Creators and communities everywhere take a stand against ICE

Published

18 hours ago

January 25, 2026

Press Room

Creators and communities everywhere take a stand against ICE

It’s not surprising when the guy who’s been yelling about the horrors of late-stage capitalism on Instagram for the last five years turns his ire towards ICE. But something different has been happening over the week or so, following the most recent shootings of civilians by federal agents — even accounts that stay laser focused on golfing, chopping wood, and playing cats like bongos have started to speak out.

The tenor on social media and Reddit took an even sharper turn yesterday, following the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE. Even the moderator of normally politics-free r/catbongos (a subreddit “Where gentlemen, gentlewomen, and gentlethems of quality gather to watch cats being played like bongos”) spokeout in a post where they declared that “If you still support Trump/ICE even slightly, you’re not welcome in this sub.”

That quilters on Instagram or a Facebook account dedicated to New England gravestones have decided enough, is enough, is one thing. But, judging from the comments, it seems like the government has lost the support of r/military as well. The subreddit is filled with angry posters decrying that “this is exactly what tyranny looks like” and sharing memes mocking Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. One poster claiming to be an active member of the U.S. Army who has served for 21 years said, “these guys are against all we stand for as Americans. Modern day brownshirts.”

All across Reddit, subs are being inundated with anti-ICE posts. From r/Fauxmoi, to r/NFCNorthMemeWar, and r/DungeonCrawlerCarl. There’s even been some limited signs of revolt among the members of r/conservative, some of whom have taken issue with Kristi Noem’s description of Alexi Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” and suggested that she should “just be quiet for a while.” And arguments have broken out among community members over perceived hypocrisy around the Second Amendment.

Some big names have also joined the chorus, including Joe Santagato of The Basement Yard podcast, who posted that what was occurring on the streets of Minneapolis was “legit horrifying.” And when someone told him to “Stay out of politics,” and “get back to spitting water out of your mouth and de-jumbling words with your idiot friends.” He shot back, “De-jumble this: ksuc ym slalb.”

Canadian wrestlers and social media influencers Chris and Patrick Vörös have spoken out previously about their anti-ICE views, but took the opportunity to remind people of the only two ICE agents they support. Educational YouTube channel Primer also took to X to say this is no longer about politics, but about the “fabric of society.”

Canadian musician bbno$ decided to break his silence, even if it risked his visa and his current U.S. tour, to throw his support behind the abolish ICE movement. Even Thoren Bradley, the Axe Man himself, whose whole schtick is being a ripped rural dude who chops wood, has decided to call out the hypocrisy of the Christian conservatives to his 10.7 million followers.

That creators like Hank Green are speaking out is no surprise. But when fitness influencers, duck-painting TikTokers, football subreddits, and even Second Amendment rights activists have finally broken their silence, it seems like the government has lost control of the narrative. No matter how hard they try to spin it.

Let us know in the comments what other creators and communities have begun to speakout in the comments.

Updated January 25th: Added additional information about Reddit communities.

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