The Update

Take Caution While Charging Your Devices While Traveling

You know the feeling. It’s like a bona fide coffee addict running low on caffeine, or like a hiker almost out of drinking water. You’re traveling and your phone is running low on juice. Frantic, you’re searching for a place to plug in and recharge. The last thing you want is to be completely stranded in a strange place with no way to order an Uber or pay for your dinner. 

What to do?

You search for a charging station. But before you do, be careful! Plugging your device into a foreign charging station can have disastrous results, including your device being hacked! 

Here are some safe steps to keep you safe while traveling. 

Avoid Using Free Charging Stations

Albuquerque’s FBI stressed the importance of avoiding free charging stations while traveling. We know it’s tempting, especially if you are running on 2% at the airport, or hotel, or a shopping center. But criminals have ways to introduce Malware or Monitoring software onto devices from USB ports. If you’ve been compromised contact ic3.gov.

Don't Use Stranger's Charging Cables

Unlike most scams aiming for as wide a target base as possible, using a charging cable to hack a victim’s device can only be pulled off on one victim at a time. Lucky for us, this means the charging cable hack isn’t as popular or widespread – yet. The relatively inexpensive technology required for the hack and the fact that it is so easy to make the cable look completely innocent could mean an upsurge in these scams in the near future.

RGCU Card Members Have Personal Identity Theft Protection

If you do get hacked while traveling, RGCU card holders have Personal Identity Theft Protection as part of their card benefits. You can be reimbursed for the recovery process, up to $5,000. This can help you during a stressful and confusing time. 

To avoid falling victim to this hack, always pack an extra charging cable in your handbag. If you forgot to take one along or you can’t seem to find it, purchase a new one to use while you’re away. You can find charging cables in almost any convenience store for under $10 – a small investment for your safety.

The next time you’re running low on juice while traveling, make the safe choice!