Hundreds of fake VPN extensions target Russian Chrome users
An investigation found more than 350 untrustworthy VPN extensions on Google's Chrome Web Store targeting Russian users.
Scale of the problem
TechRadar discovered that 369 extensions fail basic transparency tests within the store. These tools have collectively gathered over 218,000 users since their installation. Most operators use anonymous Gmail addresses instead of professional developer contacts.
Impersonation of brands
Many of the applications imitate well-known services like Windscribe and ExpressVPN. This practice gives people a false sense of security while they browse the web. Some extensions host privacy policies on Telegram rather than official websites.
Developer concentration
Only 70 developers are responsible for creating all the problematic applications found. One single email address was linked to 24 individual apps during the review. Earlier reports noted that some dangerous extensions remain active months after discovery.
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