Alert: Charging Your Phone In A Public Place Could Be Dangerous

Add this to the list of things you should not or should stop doing in public.  At least this no no isn't something you could get arrested for.  Nevertheless, criminal activity may result from this and you could end up as the victim.  We've all been there.  You're out in the world and your phone is about to die, you see a public charging outlet and you think well that's fortunate.  What you don't realize is you may be exposing your phone to harm.

According to an article on wsbt.com, the crime is "juice jacking" and the simple act of pugging in your phone could drain your bank account.  Here's how it works: criminals load malware onto those charging stations for unsuspecting users. Once you've plugged in, your phone could become infected. Within minutes, the harmful malware could lock your device and leak private information like passwords, addresses or even a full backup of the device.  Experts recommend using an AC power outlet rather than a USB charging station, bring car chargers when you travel, or even purchasing a portable charger in case of emergencies so your information stays safe and protected.