Travellers are being warned to avoid USB charging points in airports over scamming risks.
These days, smartphones are a crucial tool when it comes to travelling. Long gone are the days of printing out tickets and boarding passes, now easily accessible through the mobile device.
With the risk of running out of juice, many travel hubs now offer free mobile phone charging at dedicated stations. But the USA's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has raised an alert as fraudsters can use the tech to get access personal phones.
Sounding the alarm on Twitter, the FBI warned: "Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers. Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices.
"Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead."
According to the American security service, USB charging ports can be implemented with malware that can cause havoc, giving cyber criminals the ability to access personal information, from emails to credit card numbers. Known as "juice jacking", some tech experts have called these ports a“significant privacy hazard", The Washington Post reports.
Brits travelling to the USA should be aware of the risk, instead opting for mobile power banks and regular plug sockets to keep phones powered up. It is not clear how many such incidents have been reported outside of the country, reports My London.
For those looking to invest in a portable charger, top-rated power banks online include the 10,000mAh Battery Pack from Amazon for just £14.99. For a little extra, the Belkin 20000mAh Portable Power Bank costs £29.99 at Argos, while the 10,000 mAh Portable Power Bank from Currys costs £49.99.
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