Bluetooth on, privacy gone! Cyber criminals can empty your bank account; here's how to protect yourself
Leaving your smartphone's Bluetooth on unnecessarily can pose a threat to your privacy. Cyber criminals in public places can use techniques like "bluejacking" or "bluesnarfing" to steal your data and banking information. Let's explain how these criminals can harm you and what you should do to protect yourself
From connecting earbuds to sharing files, Bluetooth is often on for some purpose. We often forget to turn it off after our work is done, leaving it on unnecessarily.
But did you know that leaving Bluetooth on unnecessarily can put your privacy at risk? Today, we'll explain how leaving Bluetooth on can be beneficial for cyber criminals and detrimental for you.
How do you create a game?
If you go to a public place, such as a bus, train, mall, or market, you could become a target of fraudsters. Scammers send a pairing request. If you accidentally accept that request , they can break into your phone and steal your data and banking details. You understand the potential consequences of stealing your banking details.
Fraudsters can even empty accounts. This type of cyber fraud is also known as bluejacking, bluesnarfing, or bluebugging . A bluesnarfing or bluebugging attack is one in which hackers steal data or take control of a phone without your knowledge.
This type of fraud is primarily carried out in crowded areas. Fraudsters use special software and devices to detect the phone and then send pairing requests.
What to do to avoid it ?
- Turn off Bluetooth when you're done.
- Keep Bluetooth off in public places.
- Never accept pairing requests from unknown devices.
- Keep Bluetooth in non-discoverable mode in the phone settings, so that the device is not visible to others.