If you’ve ever been stuck at the airport, a café, or a hotel lobby with only a few percent of battery left, those free public charging stations probably felt like a lifesaver. You plug in, relax, and wait for your phone to come back to life.

But tech experts are warning: this convenience could come with hidden dangers. Behind what looks like a harmless USB port could be a potential gateway for hackers to steal your personal data.

⚠️ The Hidden Risk: “Juice Jacking”

There’s a hacking technique known as juice jacking. When you plug into a public USB port, you’re not just pulling electricity—you may also be connecting your phone to a data line you can’t see.

This gives cybercriminals an opportunity to:

• Steal private data like your contacts, photos, and even saved passwords.

• Install malicious software (malware) that can track your online activity.

• Lock your device with ransomware, demanding payment to unlock it.

• Take remote access to your phone, leaving you exposed long after you unplug.

It only takes seconds for your phone to be compromised.

🛑 Why It’s So Easy to Overlook