Don’t be susceptible to cyber Fi-jackers.
Google has warned Android users against “using public Wi-Fi whenever possible,” claiming that cybercriminals can use it as a Trojan horse to pilfer their bank account info. They issued the PSA in a “Behind the Screen” advisory for Android (and iPhone) users as online scams become ever more pervasive.
According to the brief, 94% of people reported receiving a text scam, while 73% of people are “very or extremely concerned about mobile scams.”
Google wrote that these messaging schemes have evolved into “a sophisticated, global enterprise designed to inflict devastating financial losses and emotional distress on unsuspecting victims.”
The latest hot scheme pulling the wool over people’s eyes? Hijacking public Wi-Fi. The doc states that the networks can be “unencrypted and easily exploited by attackers,” meaning that by using them, we could essentially be gifting bank account details and other sensitive info to hackers.
Google is echoing warnings that cybersecurity experts have been issuing for a long time.
“Many public Wi-Fi hotspots are unencrypted networks that transmit data in plain text, making it vulnerable to cybercriminals with the right tools,” cautioned cyber expert Oliver Buxton at the security firm Norton. “Hackers on the same network can intercept your online activities, including banking information, login credentials, and personal messages.”
He also warned of “malicious hotspots” aka “deceptive networks that trick users into connecting by mimicking legitimate Wi-Fi names.”
“For instance, if you were staying at the Goodnight Inn and wanted to connect to the hotel’s Wi-Fi, you might mistakenly select ‘GoodNight Inn’ (with a capital N) instead of the correct network,” Buxton said. “By doing so, you risk connecting to an ‘evil twin’ network set up by cybercriminals to access your internet traffic.”
Meanwhile, in June, the Transportation Security Administration warned plane passengers against using “free public Wi-Fi,” as well as plugging their devices into airport charging ports, for this same reason.
To determine whether something phishy is afoot, Google advises keeping “an eye on your bank accounts and credit report regularly” as they may hold clues that your account has been compromised.
Forbes security expert Zak Doffman said travelers can prevent Fi-jacking by following some simple steps.
These include disabling auto-connection to public or unknown networks, ensuring that network connections are encrypted (as denoted by a padlock icon) and vetting Wi-Fi networks carefully to ensure that it’s the official one for the hotel, coffee shop or other location in question — and not a cybernetic wolf in sheep’s clothing.
To further ensure a secure connection, Doffman also advises employing a VPN from a reputable and purchasable version from Bluechip developers. Just don’t get a free version, he warns, as this could be more dangerous than not using one at all.
It’s important to remain vigilant nowadays, per techsperts.
According to the Google PSA, scams “drained more than $400 billion from consumers worldwide, with only 4% of victims recovering their money.
