Scam alert. Image courtesy: WPS
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) – The newest tool used by cybercriminals to infect smartphones with malware and tracking software is free public charging stations.
The attack enables criminals to scrape personal data off devices, including photographs, credit card information, account logins, and passwords.
DATCP’s Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection Michael Domke says, “The perfect way to avoid an attack is to is to use your own cable and if possible to use your own charger box with it.”
Domke also spoke about some possible warning signs of an attack people may see, which would include, “You’re going to see that maybe you can’t get into some of your apps, maybe the password has been changed, and unfortunately one of the big indicators could be that you log into one of your bank accounts or a credit card account and you see that there are new charges or missing funds.”
According to recent research, Americans are targeted daily by over 376 million scammer SMS messages acting as Netflix, Amazon, and banks in order to steal their money or voices.
The number of robotext complaints increased dramatically from 3,300 to 18,900 per year between 2015 and 2022, according to data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
In 2021 alone, Americans lost over $10 billion to scams.
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