Avios stolen? Advice please

[Wally1976]

Hi all, I received an email on Monday evening which was confirmation of my recent Avios transfer to Nectar. The only thing was that I hadn’t asked to transfer any points (I am a keen convertor in the other direction).

The email said if I hadn’t initiated the transfer to clink a link and fill in an online form. I did this immediately and also changed the passwords on both my BAEC and Nectar accounts.

So here I am 2 days later, I’ve heard nothing back, my BAEC account is £25k Avios down and no points have arrived in my Nectar account.

Suggestions on next steps welcomed.

TIA

[yorkieflyer]

It would take 12 days for the points to arrive in in your Nectar account, not instant in that direction. Have you made any changes to the nectar/Avios link? The default on auto transfer is nectar to Avios as I found out too my cost a while a while ago

[ChrisBCN]

The email said if I hadn’t initiated the transfer to clink a link and fill in an online form. I did this immediately

Oh no!
What details did you give them in the form? This could have been phishing – it’s good practice NEVER to click a link in an unsolicited email, but go separately to the website concerned instead.

Ps, please click here to confirm your bank details so we can help you further.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

Have you checked what email address that came from?

Not just what is displayed by the address behind it?

Personally I’d be on the phone to exec club now.

[Wally1976]

Thanks for the help folks. The email was genuine, it contained my name and BAEC number and came from a ba.com email address.

I had turned on auto conversion and it looks like I somehow set it on Avios to Nectar rather than the opposite as intended.

I don’t know why it converted the amount it did but it looks like this was my fault so I guess I’ll just have to transfer the points back and suck up the loss.

Thanks again.

[focusonskill]

The OP has check the BAEC account and confirmed the Avios is deducted. Therefore the email is likely genuine.

[zapato1060]

Wally1976 wrote:

I had turned on auto conversion and it looks like I somehow set it on Avios to Nectar rather than the opposite as intended.

Yes nearly did the same blunder, I caught this right at the last second.

[yorkieflyer]

zapato1060 wrote:

Wally1976 wrote:

I had turned on auto conversion and it looks like I somehow set it on Avios to Nectar rather than the opposite as intended.

Yes nearly did the same blunder, I caught this right at the last second.

Annoyingly the default is set as Avios to Nectar and it’s not overly clear

[duggie1982]

I have fell for this mistake when the devaluation happened, was gutted i fell for it!

[Ian m]

Wally1976 wrote:

Thanks for the help folks. The email was genuine, it contained my name and BAEC number and came from a ba.com email address.

I had turned on auto conversion and it looks like I somehow set it on Avios to Nectar rather than the opposite as intended.

I don’t know why it converted the amount it did but it looks like this was my fault so I guess I’ll just have to transfer the points back and suck up the loss.

Thanks again.

Hi.just as a matter of interest why do you transfer all your avios to nectar? What am I missing?

I look at the 400k avios I have and see a potential of 3 longhaul business class flights for 2 people (with comp voucher)worth in excess of £15k. Or £2k cash if converted to avios.

[duggie1982]

Ian m wrote:

Wally1976 wrote:

Thanks for the help folks. The email was genuine, it contained my name and BAEC number and came from a ba.com email address.

I had turned on auto conversion and it looks like I somehow set it on Avios to Nectar rather than the opposite as intended.

I don’t know why it converted the amount it did but it looks like this was my fault so I guess I’ll just have to transfer the points back and suck up the loss.

Thanks again.

Hi.just as a matter of interest why do you transfer all your avios to nectar? What am I missing?

I look at the 400k avios I have and see a potential of 3 longhaul business class flights for 2 people (with comp voucher)worth in excess of £15k. Or £2k cash if converted to avios.

Can you expand on converted to avios £2k?

[amy356]

Hi. The same thing happened to me. I linked my nectar points to Avios, not realising the default settings would transfer over 20,000 of my Avios into Nectar points. I never wanted or asked for this. Nectar only transfer back at a ratio of 400 to 250. (but they take them on a like for like basis.) I transferred my nectar points back to Avios and now I’m 4000 Avios down. Nectar are useless and unhelpful.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

I’m confused.

iIRC there isn’t an auto transfer between Avios and Nectar. A transfer out of avios is a manual process initiated by the account holder.

It’s possible to set up auto convert from nectar to avios but that isn’t the default setting.