COLUMBUS, Ohio — For years, charging stations at airports and malls have been such a convenience, especially if you have a dead phone battery. But not anymore, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently announced that they could actually put your identity at risk.

What You Need To Know

  • The FBI is warning people not to use cellphone charging stations

  • Hackers are able to get ahold your personal information if you use the USB ports

  • This kind of hacking is called juice jacking

  • The FBI suggests using your own USB and to only use electrical outlets to charge your phone

“Where you often see these things are places where you’re going to have a significant amount of people aggregated in one place,” said Caleb Reynolds, Interhack senior analyst. “So that would be a mall. That would be an airport or hotels.”

It’s called juice jacking, and here’s how it works.

A hacker loads malware onto a public USB charging station, preying on people who need to charge their phone. Once you plug it in, the hacker can gain access to your personal information. 

“They could sell that data to buyers on the black market or they could then sell and use that for a social engineering attack against you,” he said.

To keep yourself safe, Reynolds said instead of using those stations, you can invest in a power bank for your phone. 

“So this a personal, mobile, power bank where you can connect your device to this power and get sometimes up to... six, seven, charges,” he said.

The FBI also suggests being careful when connecting to public WiFi networks, carrying your own USB cord and using electrical outlets instead of USB ports.

“Helping the public remain safe includes providing awareness about internet safety and protecting individuals from conniving criminals. Juice jacking is one of the newer threats we are seeing that has affected countless unsuspecting people,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. 

If you somehow find yourself in a situation where you are hacked, Reynolds said companies like his are available to help.

“If someone did fall victim to this type of thing or another type of attack where they were breached we can help respond and mitigate the ongoing effects of the breach,” he said.