The District Attorney offices issued a consumer alert, advising people that hackers have been able to steal private information by “juice jacking” devices at airports, hotels and bus stations, on trains and at other public locations.

Hackers steal information by replacing charging stations with connectors loaded with malware. When travelers plug in their devices, hackers can lock them and export private information, including account numbers, passwords, addresses and more.

Charging cords that appear to have been left behind also could be used by hackers. The cords may deploy malware once they are used. Officials urged people to use their own chargers, cords and cables and to plug them into a wall electrical outlet, not a public USB charging station.

Other Tips:

1. Switch handset off before recharging
2. Avoid opening Password pattern tool
3. Always carry your own power bank
4. Go to settings and disable data transfer while charging