Millions of people are using Android apps that could be tricked into leaking personal data such as banking logins, according to researchers at the University of Leibniz. Criminals creating a fake wi-fi hotspot could use an attack tool to spy on data sent by apps. And they're enormously grateful to the researchers for pointing it out.

"We'd never have thought of that," said one repeat offender. "I always thought I'd have to nick someone's phone to get that information, or maybe torture someone. But this opens a whole new area of crime for me. It's also taught me that further education can be a good thing, benefiting the common criminal like myself."

Other apps could, in theory, leak all sorts of information, letting gangs of miscreants know what the weather's like in your area, your top score on Monster Warlord and how much time you spend gazing at your ex-girlfriend on Facebook.

They could even hail a taxi online and jump in it before you, which would be really annoying, especially if they're going to your house.

Crooks could possibly change your log in details, or pay your gas bill without your knowledge. They could even read your paper, just like the old days when someone could peer over your shoulder and read news they hadn't paid for. They could even add Coldplay to your favourite playlist.

Crime is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with many of us keeping our most important security data in a cloud somewhere that no one understands. 15% of people believe that God looks after our login details, according to a new poll, probably due to the cloud thing.

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