FBI issue safety warning about charging phones at airport

Killing time in airports is boring and while you preoccupy yourself with your phone you'll inevitably have to charge it.

But it might not be as good an idea as you'd imagine because of dodgy people and dodgier malware.

According to CBS News Boston, the FBI in America has told the public to avoid using public USB ports to charge their mobile phones and other electronic devices.

In a post on Twitter, FBI Denver wrote: "Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers [sic].

"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."

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The tweet from the FBI describes a scam called "juice jacking" where hackers drain information from your phone while you use a public USB charger.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office further explained the scam, saying: "Criminals load malware onto charging stations or cables they leave plugged in at the stations so they may infect the phones and other electronic devices of unsuspecting users.

"The malware may lock the device or export data and passwords directly to the scammer."

Instead, authorities have encouraged users to charge their devices using their own power banks and charging cables.

So now you know, be safe out there!

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