Why you should never charge your phone at the airport

A PHONE is an essential piece of travel equipment with many people using their mobiles as cameras or to store e-tickets.

But because people use their devices so frequently in the airport, phone batteries can often be drained before a flight has departed.

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While accessible charging points in airports and hotels may seem like the perfect answer, a government authority has warned travellers against their use.

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.”

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, they said: “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.

Travellers have also been warned against borrowing phone chargers from the front desk when staying at hotels. 

This is because you don’t know where the charger has come from and whether it’s good quality – and knockoff chargers can ruin the batteries in your phone.

Brad Nichols, a repair technician for Staymobile, told Readers Digest: “Cheaper chargers don’t necessarily have the standards in place to fill your phone constantly with the correct voltage.

“The fluctuation of voltage can damage the charger port, and even damage your battery.”

This power bank can remotely charge four items all at once, making it perfect for travellers.

Meanwhile, some travellers have suggested that if you attach your keys to your charger, you will never forget it.

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