Coffee shop wifi got me phished and I lost $200 in gift cards

I was at a Starbucks in Austin last month, typing away on their free network, when I clicked a link in an email that looked like it was from my bank. The page asked for my login and a verification code, and I typed it all in without thinking twice. Next thing I know, my email password got reset and someone drained $200 worth of gift cards I had saved in my account. I realized too late that the Starbucks network had no encryption and someone probably set up a fake login page on the same wifi. I immediately changed all my passwords from my phone's data connection, not the wifi, and reported the fraud to my bank. Now I always use a VPN on public networks, especially at coffee shops, and I double check any email links by hovering over them first. Has anyone else gotten burned by a public wifi trap like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrewh9524d ago

People forget convenience always has a hidden price tag attached.

wilson.jana24d ago

@andrewh95 you're absolutely right, convenience often costs more than we realize.