The Easiest Way to Minimize Frequent Flyer Fraud

In the last decade, frequent flyer programs have catapulted to insane popularity amongst members, because of all it offers. In recent years, people have begun to realize the difference frequent flyer points actually makes when it comes to travelling the world. Not only do you get airline discounts, but there are bonuses for hotels, shopping and dining out.

Sadly, because of the large number of perks attached to a reward program, there are some who see it as the means of earning fraudulent money. Criminals actually exploit the flyer miles program from account holders and either use it themselves or sell frequent flyer miles. Most of these hackers are interested in the incentives the miles provide, such as luxury vacations, hotel stays, and other similar perks.

Reward programs have seen an alarming escalation in reports of passwords being hacked by a lot of airline miles members. If that wasn’t enough, the hackers have also been known to make several bookings and transactions of miles by hacking into the member’s personal air mile accounts. When these faceless criminals get access to an account, they are privy to the user’s personal information, which is even more dangerous.

There are some ways that members can reduce the risk of similar fraudulent activities. To do so, the right system needs to be established, and members have to be aware of how accounts are being compromised. Here are some effective ways to minimize frequent flyer fraud.

1. Get your Email Address Verified

It is very important to get your email address verified because it is one of the most effective ways to prevent unauthorized access to member accounts. Emails can be verified during the process of signing up to a flyer miles program. Enter the email address you wish to link to the account. The airline will then email a link to that address. When new members click on the link only then is their address verified. Usually, the airline gives members a window of five days to verify the account, and at the end of the five day period the account becomes inactive. Once the address is verified, no other email can be linked to the account.

2. Change passwords periodically

The password is probably one of the strongest defenses against hackers. Gone are the days when you could use your pets name or a small six to eight letter word as your password. Now, strong and complicated passwords are required which include numbers, punctuations and a capital letter. The website also shows you if your password is on the weak side or the strong. Strong passwords help to keep the hackers at bay. In order to keep your account secure, airlines have been educating their members on the importance of changing passwords periodically. The change of password helps in keeping the account information and the accumulated frequent flyer miles secure.