Flybuys geo-blocks points transfers!

[Kremmen]

Just thought I'd warn others that Flybuys geo-blocks transfers, but not other parts of their web site. This way, if you receive a special offer while you are overseas, you need to be able to circumvent geo-blocking in order to take advantage of it.

How can they be this stupid? It's inevitable that members of a frequent flyer scheme will be travelling some of the time. It's also inevitable that many will have proxy or VPN solutions available to them, or can use a low-tech solution such as getting someone else at home to log in for them, so it's mainly an unnecessary irritation.

 

[Isochronous]

Very dumb. Make sure you submit a complaint.

 

[Kremmen]

I reported to VA that I thought it was bad for them, as it might make people less likely to take advantage of special offers and therefore more likely to use their Flybuys elsewhere. Not a big deal for me. I circumvented the blocking, but not everyone is set up to do that easily.

 

[drron]

As I reported on another thread this happened to me trying to activate a WW offer from Thailand this week.I had been able to do it in January from Thailand.Seems to be a recent development but widespread.

 

[madrooster]

It's most likely being implemented for fraud reasons.

There's a good chance that a points transfer originating from outside of Australia is fraudulent.

I think it's a good thing that they're doing this, as it makes it harder for fraudsters to steal your points.

 

[Buzzard]

What about using a VPN and setting your location as AUS? That's what I'd do.

 

[Kremmen]

There's a good chance that a points transfer originating from outside of Australia is fraudulent.

I don't understand how anyone justifies this line of thought. The point of joining a frequent flyer scheme is to travel. Therefore, there's a good chance that a points transfer originating outside Australia is because the user is travelling.

I think it's a good thing that they're doing this, as it makes it harder for fraudsters to steal your points.

Whether I click on the transfer link when I'm in Australia or outside Australia makes zero difference to security. For someone to steal my points, they'd need my password. If someone outside Australia has my password, they can give it to someone inside Australia to steal my points! The level of protection provided is insignificant. If you think this is useful, you're kidding yourself.

 

[CPMaverick]

It's most likely being implemented for fraud reasons.

There's a good chance that a points transfer originating from outside of Australia is fraudulent.

I think it's a good thing that they're doing this, as it makes it harder for fraudsters to steal your points.

That's funny. As if a fraudster doesn't know what VPN is.

 

[Tremere]

I'm going to back up madrooster here.. plenty of documented instances of QFF and hotel points being stolen, usually via the reward stores in each scheme.

Flybuys blocking foreign access is a good defence layer, it does not singlehandedly solve fraud issues, but seriously, who is going to amass significant amounts of points in Flybuys while not in Australia? Ok, there are Flybuys's CCs, but save from a few of us on AFF, there is a good chance something trying to move FB points from overseas isn't the original account owner.

That's funny. As if a fraudster doesn't know what VPN is.

Fraudsters target low hanging fruit, adding to the effort required is a deterrent. A lot will start with reused passwords leaked elsewhere and brute force until their scripts find something that works.

It is also more likely the use of a VPN exit point in Australia will be noticed given the small number of actual end-user ISPs (where you can presume the user on the other end is actually a person) and the small number hosting services in Australia that can facilitate a VPN being set up with little checking, whereas the US and elsewhere its harder to be sure just on IP address alone.
Companies such as MaxMind compile lists of VPN/proxies, not just for the likes of Netflix, but for anti-fraud algorithms on credit cards, I'm sure FF/hotel/etc. schemes will do the same soon.

(Psst: roaming data on your Australian SIM card will avoid any VPN identification issues as the traffic is tunneled back to your home operators systems, and will appear like any other mobile user in Australia)

 

[Kremmen]

Flybuys blocking foreign access is a good defence layer, it does not singlehandedly solve fraud issues, but seriously, who is going to amass significant amounts of points in Flybuys while not in Australia?

No, it's not a good defence layer. Crooks buy and sell lists. If a leaked/brute forced password is out there, an overseas crook will just sell it to someone who can access it.

Who is going to amass significant amounts of points in Flybuys while not in Australia seems to me to be an irrelevant question. If you do generate points, you want to wait until the bonus offers to transfer them. If, as just happened to me, the bonus offer comes when you are overseas, you shouldn't be prohibited from using it. If you're overseas half the year, why should you miss out on half the bonus transfer offers?

The main issue here is that the block targets the wrong thing! So long as my Flybuys details and Velocity details match, nobody can steal anything. Someone who's broken into my account could potentially move my Flybuys to Velocity when I don't want them to. So what? That doesn't allow them to steal anything.

I could see why they might put a geo-block on the process of linking accounts, but blocking the transfer button when accounts are already linking is just stupid.

 

[Pleb Status]

Is there any reason why this thread should not be moved to the flybuys section of AFF? This really has nothing to do with VA.

 

[Kremmen]

Is there any reason why this thread should not be moved to the flybuys section of AFF? This really has nothing to do with VA.

It has everything to do with VA. If it weren't for VA's bonus transfer offer, the geo-block wouldn't matter. You could just leave the transfer until you get home. Yes, it also matters if you get other kinds of time-limited Flybuys bonus transfer offers, but I'm not aware of any such offers and those who want to redeem for travel are more likely to be travelling, so I reckon this is most likely to affect VA users.

 

[Pleb Status]

It has everything to do with VA. If it weren't for VA's bonus transfer offer, the geo-block wouldn't matter. You could just leave the transfer until you get home. Yes, it also matters if you get other kinds of time-limited Flybuys bonus transfer offers, but I'm not aware of any such offers and those who want to redeem for travel are more likely to be travelling, so I reckon this is most likely to affect VA users.

So you can confirm without doubt that only redemptions to VA are geo blocked and every other FB redemption option is not (including to EY)?

In any case, VA have no control over FB, so it is a FB issue and nothing to do with VA....

 

[Kremmen]

So you can confirm without doubt that only redemptions to VA are geo blocked and every other FB redemption option is not (including to EY)?

I don't know what else to say to someone who is continually and apparently deliberately missing the point. Does EY offer time-limited bonus transfer offers? If not, it's close to irrelevant. If they do, then that is relevant for EY users.

If VA sends me an offer and Flybuys have things set up to try to prevent me taking it up, it is not "nothing to do with VA". It's VA's offer that is being affected.

 

[mannej]

I don't know what else to say to someone who is continually and apparently deliberately missing the point. Does EY offer time-limited bonus transfer offers? If not, it's close to irrelevant. If they do, then that is relevant for EY users.

If VA sends me an offer and Flybuys have things set up to try to prevent me taking it up, it is not "nothing to do with VA". It's VA's offer that is being affected.

It's a Flybuys issue so should be in the Flybuys thread. Flybuys geoblocked the transfer not VA, hence why it belongs in the Flybuys.

 

[JessicaTam]

[mod hat]
Please confine discussion to the geo-blocking issue, not the location of the thread.
[/mod hat]

 

[flybuys]

We're sorry that this is an inconvenience for some flybuys members. It is for security reasons that we don't permit flybuys redemptions from addresses outside Australia. This applies to every reward type, not just transfers to frequent flyer points. We appreciate that the inconvenience may particularly affect those members looking to use travel related rewards. We are constantly reviewing our security measures and attempt to get the right balance between maintaining appropriate levels of protection while minimising inconvenience to members.

 

[Cynicor]

We're sorry that this is an inconvenience for some flybuys members. It is for security reasons that we don't permit flybuys redemptions from addresses outside Australia. This applies to every reward type, not just transfers to frequent flyer points. We appreciate that the inconvenience may particularly affect those members looking to use travel related rewards. We are constantly reviewing our security measures and attempt to get the right balance between maintaining appropriate levels of protection while minimising inconvenience to members.

2 factor authentication would help. Send an SMS to confirm; though it doesn't prevent ID theft where they steal your phone number too!.

 

[mannej]

2 factor authentication would help. Send an SMS to confirm; though it doesn't prevent ID theft where they steal your phone number too!.

That's what QF are doing and people are up in arms.

 

[jbman]

Give the option or 2FA as SMS OR via one time code from an app. I am not a fan of the SMS option