Watch out for fake hotel Wi-Fi networks!

Hey folks, I was staying at a hotel last month and saw a network called 'Hotel_Guest_Free'. I connected without thinking twice, but then a pop-up asked for my room number and email. That felt off, so I checked with the front desk and they said the real network name was different. Turns out, hackers set up a fake hotspot to grab people's data! I quickly disconnected and changed all my passwords. Now I always ask staff for the correct network before I join anything. Using a VPN on my devices has become a must for me in public places. It's scary how easy it is to fall for these tricks, so stay alert!

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3 Comments

hart.parker7mo ago

Is this really a common problem though? I travel all the time and have never actually seen a fake hotel network. Maybe it happens, but I feel like the risk gets blown out of proportion.

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beththomas7mo ago

Just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean they aren't out there. These fake networks can look real and catch people off guard. A little caution goes a long way when traveling.

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bettyg477mo ago

Oh man, I get where @hart.parker is coming from, but I've totally seen this. I mean, last year at an airport, there was a network called "Free Airport WiFi" right next to the real one. It looked totally normal. My friend connected and got a weird pop-up asking for his email password. It's not always a hotel thing, sometimes it's just in busy spots. Maybe you've been lucky, but they're out there for sure.

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