Statewide Iowa — Most Iowans have been in an airport, shopping mall or movie theater, realized their phone battery was low, and plugged it into one of those free public chargers. Now, the FBI is warning about what’s being called “juice jacking,” where bad actors use those chargers to infect smartphones, tablets and other devices with malware.
Consumer protection advocate Micheal Domke says that malware can be malicious.
There are warning signs your device may have already been infected, and Domke says you need to stay vigilant to keep your private data private.
Skimming devices placed inside USB ports will allow a hacker to quickly access your banking apps, contacts, emails and texts within seconds. He recommends never using a public charger, but to instead, plug your own cord into a separate electrical outlet.
