The Hidden Danger of Free Public Wi-Fi

You’re at the airport, café, or hotel and see a free Wi-Fi network called Starbucks_Free_WiFi or Hotel_Guest. It feels harmless to connect and check your messages — but the network could be fake, set up by hackers to steal your data.

This trick is known as an Evil Twin attack. A hacker creates a hotspot with the same name as the real one. Because phones often reconnect automatically to familiar networks, your device may join the fake one without you noticing.

Once connected, attackers can intercept everything you send or receive — from passwords to banking details. Even encrypted websites aren’t fully safe. Hackers can steal session cookies, giving them access to your accounts without needing your password.

These attacks are easy to set up with free tools, which is why they’re becoming more common. Many people simply connect to the strongest signal, unknowingly walking into the trap.

What you should do

• Turn off auto-connect: always choose networks manually in your settings.

• Use mobile data if unsure: a hotspot is safer than a suspicious Wi-Fi network.

• Be cautious with duplicate names: if two networks look identical, avoid them