# Can a public cell phone charger raid your phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** phones-tablets\ **Created:** [February 23, 2023, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224 "2023-02-23T06:03:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/21 "2023-02-23T14:33:26Z")
I was about to say that. And I’ve also carried a small backup battery on several trips, and never had trouble with airport security. (That doesn’t mean it’s allowed. I once accidentally carried a sharp kitchen knife with a 4" blade through airport security. Imagine my surprise when I opened my backpack and found it.) I also carry a small plug-in charger. I don’t think the electrical outlet is likely to be carrying malware, and I doubt it will get through the charger, if it is. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/22 "2023-02-23T14:38:59Z")
I would be more worried about someone stealing my phone in the situation described in the OP. I’ve seen enough mix-ups in meetings where everyone filled every plug in the room with chargers. Turns out other people’s phones are black rectangles also. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/23 "2023-02-23T15:03:26Z")
USB condom [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Condom_USB_de_PortaPow.jpg/450px-Condom_USB_de_PortaPow.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Condom_USB_de_PortaPow.jpg/450px-Condom_USB_de_PortaPow.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Surfing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@Surfing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surfing)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/24 "2023-02-23T16:35:07Z")
I bought a 4-pack of these a while back and keep one in my car, one in my latptop bag, one attached to the USB cable I normally use to charge my phone, etc. I figure the risk is low using a public charging station but I’m fairly risk averse and it makes me feel better to use one. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/25 "2023-02-23T16:37:09Z")
I read a story about how at DefCon a presenter started by asking who used the free charging stations in the lobby. A bunch of attendees raised their hand. He said we have hacked your phone and the presentation was on proving it and how they did it. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/26 "2023-02-23T16:39:03Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > USB condom - > [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Condom\_USB\_de\_PortaPow.jpg/450px-Condom\_USB\_de\_PortaPow.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Condom_USB_de_PortaPow.jpg/450px-Condom_USB_de_PortaPow.jpg) - Does it block Trojans? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/27 "2023-02-23T16:53:11Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Whenever I plug my Galaxy S22 (or any previous android phone) into a USB plug it always ask me if If I want to enable data transfer or charge only. What is the default? If you just plug it in and leave, and the screen (unseen by you) pops up, what option does the phone assume? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/28 "2023-02-23T16:55:06Z")
Charge only, but I believe I had to set that initially several Galaxy phones back and it remembers it when I update to a new phone. Still it keeps asking me if I want to use it for data transfer. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/29 "2023-02-23T17:15:08Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Whenever I plug my Galaxy S22 (or any previous android phone) into a USB plug it always ask me if If I want to enable data transfer or charge only. I doubt if an old iPod or USB stick has this security option, but modern, updated phones should all do this. At least I thought that they did, am I incorrect in this assumption? My Galaxy 02S saves the setting of file transfer if I had previously selected it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/30 "2023-02-23T20:25:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > > > Whenever I plug my Galaxy S22 (or any previous android phone) into a USB plug it always ask me if If I want to enable data transfer or charge only. > > What is the default? If you just plug it in and leave, and the screen (unseen by you) pops up, what option does the phone assume? My pixel 5 doesn’t even pop up the screen. The default is charge-only, and i have to click on a menu to tell it to allow data. Kinda a nuisance when i want to fuss with its date on my laptop, but probably a good default. The primary risk i protect myself against is that my battery will run out. I don’t find that public USB charging is terribly common, but electrical outlets are. So I carry a little charger. That it also protects me from Trojans hiding in public charging stations is just an added benefit. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/31 "2023-02-23T20:34:27Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > So I carry a little charger. That it also protects me from Trojans hiding in public charging stations is just an added benefit. Agree with this. How many people walk around with only a USB cable and no charger for their phone? Yes, the current tech is that the charger and the cable are detachable, but it’s not like the charger itself is a burden. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/32 "2023-02-23T20:49:37Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Agree with this. How many people walk around with only a USB cable and no charger for their phone? I don’t carry either with me unless I am out of town on business since I am constantly charging my phone all day at the office or in my car. Now in my car I only have the cable and may take it in with me somewhere to charge. But that’s only because I’m anal about keeping a full charge and don’t understand how people can run out of charge. 🙂 When I’m out of town I always have the wall wart with me in my computer bag (along with many other survival items). I would never depend on me finding or hovering around with other people on a public charge station like I see at airports. It’s just not my thing. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/33 "2023-02-23T21:07:04Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > USB condom > [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Condom\_USB\_de\_PortaPow.jpg/450px-Condom\_USB\_de\_PortaPow.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Condom_USB_de_PortaPow.jpg/450px-Condom_USB_de_PortaPow.jpg) ⁢ Neat. I was going to say something like that should easily exist. Though another choice would just be to use a USB charging cable–which means it doesn’t even have the wires for data transfer. I see these quite commonly in stores, often cheaper than data cables even. (Though, of course, they’re even cheaper online, as pretty much all cables are.) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/34 "2023-02-24T05:30:35Z")
OMG… The first rule of DefCon is Don’t bring any tech that you don’t mind needing to physically destroy afterward. I don’t know if I’d even trust a [Western Electric 500 rotary dial phone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_500_telephone#/media/File:Model500Telephone1951.jpg) in that environment. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/35 "2023-02-24T14:58:12Z")
At the same time, the fact DefCon hackers can ensnare even the cognoscenti should serve as a huge red flag for the entire industry that they’re utterly screwing up how society operates its cybersecurity. ---
**Author:** ![fordgt100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fordgt100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fordgt100)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2023, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/36 "2023-02-27T05:23:39Z")
This sort of thing could be a nightmare. I was reading about crypto hackers on the S.F. Examiner, something called “pig butchering”. There are people that get hold of someone’s phone number, then call their victim’s phone service provider to reroute traffic to to their “cold” phone. W/ the data from the victim’s phone, they get into the emails and look at mail from Coinbase or Gemini, as well as Twitter and Facebook. From that they know the victim has a crypto account, so they go to that, hack it, and have funds transferred to their “cold wallet”. The victim wakes up the next morning, they have no phone service and the crypto funds are gone. I may have left out a step or two, it’s all there in today’s S.F. Examiner online. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2023, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/37 "2023-02-27T13:19:03Z")
> [@fordgt100](#): > > There are people that get hold of someone’s phone number, then call their victim’s phone service provider to reroute traffic to to their “cold” phone. How does one know someone’s phone service provider from a phone number? Genuine question. I will look for the article. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2023, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224/38 "2023-02-27T14:32:24Z")
The number itself indicates which mobile provider it originally came from at the time the number was first issued to the person. Because of mergers & spinoffs, and because of subscriber number portability, many phone numbers’ current carrier no longer correspond to the original carrier. For older farts like most of us here that’s very likely to be true. For someone in their 20s still living near where they grew up, that’s much less likely to be true. As always XKCD is on point. > **[Cell Number](https://xkcd.com/1129/)** > > There's also a +1 sometimes, which is there to keep everyone on their toes. In the future, people who got to pick cool numbers by signing up for Google Voice early will be revered as wizards. The first 3 of his “seven random digits” actually identify “Your cell provider in 2005”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-public-cell-phone-charger-raid-your-phone/980224.md?page=1)