-1

Got my credit card info stolen after using a sketchy VPN last week

I figured I'd save $10 a month on a real VPN and downloaded some free one I found on a Reddit thread. Three days later I get a notification from my bank about a $400 charge at a electronics store in Florida. I live in Wisconsin. The bank caught it but now I have to wait 10 business days for a new card. Has anyone else had a free VPN mess them up this bad?

2 comments

2 Comments

blake_black471mo ago

Man I read this article the other day about how those "free" VPNs make money by selling your data to whoever pays. Basically you're trading your privacy for a few bucks. Sucks about the card though, hope the bank sorts it out quick.

wendy_park761mo ago

Respectfully gotta disagree with @blake_black47 on the data selling thing being the main problem here. Free VPNs definitely collect your info but the real issue is they often have terrible security themselves. I remember reading that one popular free VPN got hacked and leaked millions of user passwords because they stored everything in plain text. Plus they rarely update their apps so old bugs just sit there waiting to be exploited. Using a free VPN is basically hoping the criminals running it are too lazy to steal from you directly. Your bank saved you this time but next time it could be way worse if they get enough data to answer your security questions.