Aug 14: 737 fake VPN extensions posing as NordVPN and Proton were caught funneling people's browsing through one stranger's server

Socket's Threat Research Team found 737 fake VPN and proxy extensions on the Chrome Web Store, published across at least 40 developer accounts, with more than 75,000 combined installs. They pose as trusted names like Proton VPN and NordVPN — impersonating 66 real VPN and privacy brands — while routing your entire browser session through proxies run by a single operator. Hundreds are still live, so any family member who installed a "free VPN" in Chrome to feel safer may have handed every site they visit to someone they've never heard of. This story was flagged by the SearXNG sweep as high-relevance for families.