Do Not Use Public Phone Chargers Warns FBI

When your phone's battery is running low and you don't have a charger on you, sometimes it can be a godsend to find a free public charging station, but the FBI is now warning that even though they are free, using one of them could be very costly for you.

Apparently, bad guys have figured out how to hijack the chargers so that they infect phones with malware that allows criminals to access your phone, tablet or computer.

In a tweet, the FBI's Denver office wrote, "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."

The Bureau's home office echoed the warning with a bulletin on their website titled "Be Cautious While Connected."

Since they didn't point out any recent instances of a device being hijacked, the Denver office explained that their tweet is meant more as an advisory. They aren't the first to raise a flag about it either - the FCC warned of the practice, known as "juice jacking," back in 2021.

Both the FCC and the FBI recommend avoiding the charging stations when possible.