As the busy holiday season approaches, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is warning travelers about a USB charger scam, or “juice jacking.” The announcement warns :

Travelers should avoid using public USB power charging stations in airports, hotels and other locations because they may contain dangerous malware. In the USB Charger Scam, often called “juice jacking,” 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.

TIPS:

• Use an AC power outlet, not a USB charging station.
• Take AC and car chargers for your devices when traveling.
• Consider buying a portable charger for emergencies.

The DA’s office also posted a video

#FraudFriday – USB Charger Scam from LADAOffice on Vimeo.

Juice jacking happens when unsuspecting users plug their electronic devices into USB ports or use USB cables that have been loaded with malware.

The risk of Juice jacking is real, industry analysts agree.

According to Charles Henderson, Global Managing Partner and Head of X-Force Red at IBM Security “Being careful about what you plug into your devices is just good tech hygiene.”  Henderson runs a team of hackers tasked with breaking into computer systems of major companies in order to expose vulnerabilities. He added in an interview with Forbes, “If you were on a trip and realized you forgot to pack underwear, you wouldn’t ask all your co-travelers if you could borrow their underwear. You’d go to a store and buy new underwear.”