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Forums Frequent flyer programs The British Airways Club How hackers get money from stolen Avios (Guardian)

  • 25 posts

    Article in the Guardian today – hackers who steal Avios are selling them on Facebook. Someone bought Avios on FB, got them transferred into their account & then BA took them back as they’d be stolen from someone else…

    https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/may/24/holidaymakers-avios-loyalty-points-scams-british-airways-oneworld?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

    11,540 posts

    The guy in the article was lucky his own BAC account wasn’t closed down as BA doesn’t allow the buying or selling of avios via social media. It’s quite common for people to post here asking if it’s a good idea to buy avios (usually on eBay) and are always told it’s a bad idea!

    You’d also have to give some of your BAC account details to the scammer for the transfer to take place which is slightly worrying. I’m assuming that BA is actively investigating reports of accounts being accessed unlawfully and avios been transferred out, and watching which accounts they go to. Presumably these account holders are then the ones offering them for sale.

    145 posts

    Buyer beware. £200 for 60000 is obviously too good a deal to be true.

    How did the transfer occur? I thought the names on the accounts had to match.

    11,540 posts

    They would have been transferred from the seller’s BA account to the recipient’s, I presume, with the recipient giving the seller the details they needed. There’s only a name match required if you’re transferring them, say, from Amex to BAC. £200 IS very low, unless the transfer fee was charged separately.

    850 posts

    But he is REFUNDED the £200!!!!!!

    11,540 posts

    Presumably by his bank if it agreed that the transaction was fraudulent. So he’s back where he started, but with no flights.

    What is the FB group with 75k members?!

    335 posts

    It’s not his bank that refunded him it us the consumers with higher charges , higher interest on loans , lower interest on savings.

    Sorry I think that people should take more care. They should have known buying avios from another person is against the rules.

    Basically banks should protect the vulnerable, people with dementia etc…. People who run their own businesses should be savvy enough to take care.

    1,128 posts

    I’m surprised that BA looked on the buyer of the Avios so kindly. I would expect to have my account shut down if I tried this.

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