Drew Jones / via The Washington Post / Nov. 23, 2019

Many thoughts can go through your mind at the airport as your phone’s battery dwindles from green to yellow to red. How is it already dead? What if I can’t call Uber when I land? Where is my charger? But when you find a place to plug in and charge, it may not be as simple — or safe — as you think.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is warning travelers using Los Angeles International Airport of a new scheme targeting people who need a quick boost at public USB charging stations. The USB charging scam, also known as “juice jacking,” involves hackers spoofing charging stations to steal information.

Similar to credit-card skimming, fake charging stations are set up via port or cable, and unknowing users who plug into them expose their devices to malware attacks that can lock their devices and export sensitive contents such as passwords and bank account numbers into the hands of waiting information thieves.

“#ICYMI: Avoid using public USB charging stations at airports and other locations,” the district attorney’s office wrote on Twitter.

Deputy District Attorney Luke Sisak says investigators from his office have seen scammers whom they know to be involved in identity-theft schemes with the software and hardware capable of performing the “juice jacking” scam. He says his office wants to give travelers the information they need to protect themselves.

Continue reading here: Authorities warn of USB outlet-charging scam that steals travelers’ private information