Tips for Spotting Fake VPNs

Using a VPN is a great way to give yourself more control over your online experience, but how can you know if a VPN is legitimate? With so many fake VPNs on the market, it can be difficult to tell which ones are real and which ones are fraudulent. It’s important to know how to identify these different apps so you can avoid a potential security risk. Take a look at the following tips for spotting fake VPNs and ensure that your devices remain protected from false apps.

What is a Fake VPN?

You may have seen them in your app store disguised as free VPNs, but fake VPNs are much more dangerous than they look. In many cases, these apps are created by cybercriminals hoping to trick users into downloading their software. 

Fake VPN apps might promise a secure connection, but they are actually doing more harm than good. These applications can monitor your account, and your activity, to gain access to your personal information. They then use your private data for fraudulent purposes. Some fake VPNs even install dangerous software on your device, including malware, spyware, and more.

What are the Risks of a Fake VPN?

Not only can fake VPN applications put your information at risk, but they can also threaten your overall security. If you download a VPN and think that it’s working as intended, you may perform certain actions that you think are safe when, in reality, you aren’t protected at all. In most cases, your data will not be encrypted and you will be more vulnerable to attacks than before.

Fake VPNs will often obtain user data and sell it to third parties. This can include your online traffic history, your downloads, your personal information, and even your financial data. These applications may even introduce serious threats to your device through malware and other dangerous software. 

Ultimately, fake VPN apps are out for one thing: your data. Providers of these applications may even use Trojan viruses to steal your credentials, your banking information, and other private information. This is why it’s so important to know how to identify fake VPNs.

Tips for Spotting Fake VPNs

Unfortunately, you may be unable to identify a fake VPN from its appearance alone. This is just another reason why these applications are so dangerous. However, there are several ways that you can evaluate a VPNs performance to determine if it’s fake. Take a look at our tips for spotting fake VPNs.

Always Check the Reviews

Fake VPNs will often have a slew of terrible reviews. If there are any positive reviews for the application, they might look like they were written by bots. Unfortunately, this isn’t always a good indicator of VPN quality. There are some users who will give a bad review to an application simply because it didn’t fit the exact specifications they were looking for. This is why it’s important to check for social media accounts or websites that reflect the validity of the app. 

Review the Privacy Policy

In some cases, the privacy policy on a fake VPN may be full of vague words or phrases to make it sound legitimate. These privacy policies may even be extremely long in an attempt to trick users into not reading all the way through. Depending on the fake VPN, there may not even be a privacy policy listed at all. When that happens, it’s usually a dead giveaway that the application is fraudulent. 

Poor Performance and Quality

Another major aspect of fake VPNs is their poor quality and performance. If it is difficult to connect to the app, hard to stay connected, or challenging to use, the VPN is likely fake. This is also true if the VPN has poor encryption standards. You may notice the app freezing or taking a long time to load. If you notice any of these signs, it could be an indication of a fake VPN app. 

Get Reliable Protection with PrivadoVPN

Now that you know the risks of a fake VPN, it’s important to find one that works for you. PrivadoVPN makes it easy to give yourself the secure online experience that you deserve. With hundreds of global servers, unlimited monthly VPN data, and the ability to create up to 10 connections from just one account, it’s never been a better time to get a powerful VPN that can keep you, and your private data, safe. Sign up for PrivadoVPN today to learn more.