A view of the phone charging station during New York Fashion Week
Free phone charging services found at airports, bus stops, and shopping malls may be compromised by hackers, the FBI has warned.
  • The FBI warned people to avoid using free phone-charging stations found in hotels, airports, and other public places. 
  • Hackers can insert malware or monitoring software into phones through charging ports, the agency said. 
  • A Los Angeles deputy district attorney once warned that "a free charge could end up draining your bank account."

The FBI is warning people to steer clear of free cell phone-charging stations. 

According to the agency, hackers have figured out how to gain access to cell phones plugged into the charging ports and can introduce malware or monitoring software onto cell phones and other devices.