The security of Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts is being questioned this week after a member’s account was hacked. Almost 50,000 points were stolen. The member’s private information would have also been compromised.
Having somehow managed to obtain this member’s PIN number, the hacker redeemed over 30,000 points worth of Myer gift vouchers. After spotting the fraudulent transactions, the member’s account was later reset. But the same thing then happened again the next day. Eventually the account was frozen and our member was issued with a brand new card.
To Qantas’ credit, the airline has promised to reinstate the stolen points. However, our members are concerned at how easy it could be for this to happen to someone else. Although this is not a common occurrence, it is not unprecedented. Other members say that this has happened to them, or someone they know, in the past.
Our members feel that the simple 4-digit PIN required to access any Qantas Frequent Flyer account is insufficient and insecure in today’s world. Our members believe that the requirement for stronger password would be beneficial. They would also like to see greater security measures, such as the two-factor authentication used by most banks, when points are redeemed or changes made to an account.
Join the discussion HERE.
