• Source:JND
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Public charging stations have been among the popular mediums to charge smartphones and other electronic devices in times of emergency or low power. However, the government has a piece of advice for users who use this apparatus because of the ongoing 'USB Charger Scam'.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), functioning under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, shared safety tips on X (formerly Twitter) to ensure Indians do not fall for juice-jacking-related scams.

Also Read: Keep Your Smartwatch, Smart TV, Other Home Accessories Safe From Hackers With These Govt-Approved Safety Tips

The national nodal agency posted that cyber-criminals may use these public charging ports that are installed in public places such as cafes, hotels, airports and more for malicious purposes. These infected ports may lead to instances of juice-jacking if users charge their devices via these USB ports.

According to TechTarget, juice jacking is an exploit where an infected USB port is used to compromise gadgets via the available pins of a USB cable. CERT-In warns this may lead to the installation of malware apps. It may also enable cyber fraudsters to encrypt the device's data and demand ransom to restore access. Lastly, it could lead to instances of data stealing by scammers.

Also Read: Govt Warns Of AI Chatbot FraudGPT And Online Courier Scam; Here's How To Remain Safe

The agency shared a few 'Best Practices' you can follow before charging your device via this medium.

- Conduct proper checks and think before you start charging your phone in case of emergencies via any of the readily available USB charging points or "portable wall chargers"

- Only use an electrical wall charging socket to charge your smartphone or other electronic devices

- Use your cable and adapter combo or a power bank to charge devices in public places

- Always keep your smartphone locked and disable USB debugging and pairing options when a cable is connected

- If possible, switch off your smartphone before charging