Smartphone users have been warned that they could fall victim to cybercriminals setting up 'fake' wireless networks in order to steal their data. 

Many smartphones automatically look for open wireless networks to connect to - meaning that cybercriminals can set up their own networks in the hope that people's phones connect to them.

A BBC video shows that, once a phone has connected to an open network, the user's personal data can be vulnerable - for example, logging on to facebook would allow the criminals to take control of your Facebook account.

The problem is compounded by the fact that wireless networks can be named anything by their owners. While many businesses, such as coffee shops or hotels, don't use especilly intuitive names for their networks, a fake WiFi network could be named something apparently trustworthy - folling the user into connecting to it.

Users are advised to turn WiFi off when not using it, and to make sure they know that any wireless network they connecting to can be trusted.