Beware of "Evil Twin" WiFi during business trips: Public networks become new traps for cryptocurrency password theft

January 19 News, as the use cases for crypto assets continue to expand, a network attack method called “Evil Twin WiFi” is becoming a covert risk faced by travelers and crypto users. Multiple cybersecurity experts warn that using free WiFi at airports, hotels, cafes, and other public places may lead to theft of cryptocurrency wallets, account credentials, or even funds.

The so-called “Evil Twin” WiFi refers to attackers cloning legitimate public wireless network names to lure users into automatically connecting. Once connected, attackers can monitor traffic, serve phishing pages, or fake login and update prompts to steal sensitive information. Previously, Australian police disclosed that malicious individuals set up fake free WiFi at airports to collect travelers’ personal data.

Cybersecurity firm Halborn co-founder Steven Walbroehl pointed out that such attacks are especially common at airports, transportation hubs, hotels, and conference venues because users often rush to connect and neglect verifying the network’s authenticity. SlowMist Chief Information Security Officer 23pds also stated, “Evil Twin” is not rare, and many users still unknowingly leak key information.

Experts emphasize that merely connecting to fake WiFi does not necessarily cause immediate asset loss; the real risk lies in users entering private keys, seed phrases, email passwords, or two-factor authentication codes afterward. Once centralized accounts or linked email addresses are compromised, attackers can quickly transfer crypto assets.

Common attack methods include fake login pages, impersonating system update prompts, or directly tricking users into entering seed phrases. 23pds pointed out that these attacks rely on social engineering rather than technical hacking, focusing on exploiting fatigue, anxiety, and other scenarios to cause user errors.

Regarding security advice, experts generally recommend avoiding conducting transfers, changing security settings, or connecting to new decentralized applications over public WiFi. Safer practices include using personal mobile hotspots, disabling automatic connection features, accessing services via bookmarks or manual URL entry, and always verifying address information. If public networks must be used, pairing with a trusted VPN and confirming the network name with on-site staff is advised.

Additionally, travelers can adopt a layered asset management strategy: keep main assets offline and set up small travel wallets separately. Even if an incident occurs, losses can be effectively controlled.