A large number of the loyalty rewards accounts held by United and American Airlines passengers were targeted by cyber-thieves.
Rewards programs such as the ones offered by airlines can accumulate a significant amount of value, and sadly, that makes them a target for thieves.
The Associated Press reports that approximately 10 thousand accounts enrolled at American Airlines’ AAdvantage, and a few dozen signed up for United Airlines’ MileagePlus recently found that out the hard way.
Their accounts were compromised, and in some cases the cyber-criminals who broke in were able to use ill-gotten points to book travel.
Spokespeople for both airlines have stressed that their own systems weren’t hacked, rather the thieves somehow got a hold of individual account names and passwords and gained entry that way.
The incidents happened in the last days of December.
Only about a month prior, Good Morning America did its best to alert the public to such a threat.
They warned that as loyalt
