Beware of the evil twin WiFi scam! How you can protect yourself 

SALT LAKE CITY — Economic uncertainty has travelers feeling nervous and airlines making changes. In the last few weeks, several have said they will be scrapping some domestic flights. One exception to the rule seems to be international travel. Many U.S. airlines have announced they are adding routes, especially to popular European destinations. Taking off for an out-of-country excursion can come with extra costs and that includes cell phone roaming. Carriers in the U.S. typically charge between $6 and $15 per day for roaming services, depending on your plan and destination. To avoid the fees, many travelers will leave their phones in “airplane mode,” relying on WiFi hotspots around town to stay connected.

Enter the “evil twin”

But that has its risks, warns internet security expert Eric Plam, president of SIMO – a mobile hotspot company. “For example, the ‘man-in-the-middle’ attack, also known as the ‘evil twin’ attack,” Plam said. An evil twin is when a hacker tricks you into connecting to their WiFi network by impersonating other WiFi networks. For instance, they might name it "Airport,” or they might incorporate the name of a cafe or hotel. Then they secretly sit between you and the internet, watching and stealing your info as it passes through.

Protecting yourself

To stay safe on Wi-Fi while traveling abroad, avoid public networks unless they're password protected. Turn off auto-connect and turn off file sharing on your device. And avoid logging into sensitive accounts like your bank account on any public WiFi. Use can also block hackers by using a VPN to encrypt your data before it travels through a WiFi hotspot. Another option is to travel with a portable hotspot. “It's very import for people to understand this,” said Plam. “Especially when they start to travel in summer travel season and they're moving around the world, and the problem tends to multiply even more.” It's easy and inexpensive for scammers to set up an evil twin network — often just using a laptop and basic software — making the threat more widespread and accessible than many travelers realize.

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