Fraud on Velocity Frequent Flyer accounts

[odysseus]

Airlines could solve these issues quickly, but there are too many internal politics involved.
Fixes are easy, but not cheap.

Fixes are easy - and cheap. Well, to get the 'low hanging fruit' anyway.

Either or better, both:
- block redemptions within the next say 2-3 days, or at a minimum on Qatar in that time and that looks to take away most of the viability. A more friendly way would be to permit these bookings only through the customer service centre, with verification. A bit more expensive, but I doubt there's a massive legitimate volume of bookings for those conditions that CS cost would be great.
- prevent changes to email address online. Require contact through CS, with verification provided. Again, cheap and easy to do, with little CS cost.

Slightly more expensive, but standard nowadays and not excessively costly is IP/session verification as is done with financial payments, which this is equivalent to in the case of redemptions. i.e. if a redemption is made, is the session trusted, or is it a new IP? Permit the first, reject the latter - again, require them to go through CS or add verification to the session.

Of course that won't eradicate it BUT with the extra lead time and extra visibility it will mean that most of the current dodginess can be picked up and cancelled in that time, making the honey pot less attractive. There are also things that do cost more and do a greater job of blocking, but it's just way too easy as it stands, so the aim is to make it harder, and then focus on the next best value things to improve.

 

[StayGoldPonyboy]

To your first dot point, I would add "redemptions not originating or finishing in AU". I don't think the scammers would try sell off a stolen redemption flight involving AU??

 

[jsoprano]

To your first dot point, I would add "redemptions not originating or finishing in AU". I don't think the scammers would try sell off a stolen redemption flight involving AU??

I don't see why they wouldn't sell it, if they have a customer wanting fly from or to AU and award availability is there? They'd sell you anything that makes those points into $$, it's just less likely I guess given how/where we assume they operate.

I think the easiest quick fix/band-aid for Velocity would be to restrict/disable the ability to change email addresses on the profile online (realistically, how often do you have to do this?) but make people call for further validation, or at least institute some kind of 24/48hr black-out period for redemptions following the change of email. But it's all crickets...

 

[Legoman]

I think the easiest quick fix/band-aid for Velocity would be to restrict/disable the ability to change email addresses on the profile online (realistically, how often do you have to do this?) but make people call for further validation, or at least institute some kind of 24/48hr black-out period for redemptions following the change of email. But it's all crickets...

Please just stop. You're making far too much sense. Logic and rational suggestions aren't appreciated at Velocity. They've made an entire business off the back of excuses and endless apologies, and it just wouldn't do to have to completely change the work culture now this late in the game. Their motto is Excuses are better than Prevention. There's another idiom that coughs on about "prevention" and "cures", but Velocity haven't heard that one yet.