One of the unique successes in China’s sharing economy has been power bank rentals, but police in China have recently warned that the mobile battery packs keeping users’ smartphones charged up could also spread malware. The online security department of the Ministry of Public Security warned on its official WeChat account on Sunday that power banks could potentially be used to transmit Trojan horses and other types of malware, especially power banks of unknown origin. Once a smartphone is infected, the malware could steal personal information, including contacts, photos and videos, according to a police video. For now, the threat may not be big. Although the police did not offer any real-world examples of the trick being used, some experts warn that users should be wary of the potential threat.
More information: https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3112824/police-warn-shared-power-banks-could-transmit-viruses-industry-continues
