This free Android VPN is actually money-stealing malware in disguise

Getting your hands on a decent-sounding VPN without having to put your hard-earned money behind it sounds enticing, right? Well, sometimes it can be a bit of a dangerous risk to take, and in cases like the 'Klopatra' VPN, it can sometimes nab your money while pretending to keep you safe.

Avoiding distribution through the Android Play Store, it's instead installed via Modpro IP TV + VPN, a dropper that poses as an app. While you may think that you've scored a free VPN, you've actually just opened your virtual door to malware.

You wouldn't know any of this is happening, which really underlines once again the importance of avoiding unfamiliar VPNs, especially if they're free. I'd recommend taking note of our guide to the best VPNs to ensure you're using a reliable provider.

Cleafy, a fraud management institution, has found 40 versions of the app in the wild since March, according to a recent article on its site. While side-loading apps is usually one of the top reasons to own an Android device, cases like Klopatra also prove how risky it can be.

It doesn't matter if you use a VPN for gaming or simply standard privacy activities, it cannot stop you from inadvertently downloading malware. Instead, you have to be aware of the risks and ensure you run unfamiliar software through websites like VirusTotal if you're not 100% sure they're legitimate. If it's too good to be true, it usually is.

Cleafy found the Klopatra malware, which it designated as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT), on over 3000 devices, mostly in Spain and Italy, with data artifacts suggesting that a Turkish-speaking group could be behind the malware. It's a pretty clever approach, too, employing a virtual remote desktop through a hidden VNC process. This is combined with overlay attacks, also known as fake user interface layers, to steal money from a victim's bank or crypto wallet without it being seen.

The takeaway here is that you shouldn't download any VPN apps you haven't heard of. Instead, select a trusted VPN, go to its official website, sign up, and install it that way. A good place to start is with our recommended VPN partner, NordVPN, which you can grab via the link.