Your airline miles, hotel points, grocery rewards, coffee stars, and credit card points may not feel like “real money,” but hackers see them differently. Loyalty rewards accounts are valuable because points can often be redeemed for gift cards, travel, merchandise, upgrades, or transferred to other accounts. That makes them a tempting target for cybercriminals.
Why do hackers target loyalty rewards accounts?
Loyalty accounts are often easier to break into than bank accounts. Many people reuse passwords, ignore old rewards accounts, and rarely check point balances. That gives attackers more time to take over an account and spend the rewards before the owner notices.
Cybercriminals commonly target:
- Airline miles accounts
- Hotel rewards programs
- Credit card rewards portals
- Retail loyalty accounts
- Restaurant and coffee rewards apps
- Grocery store rewards programs
If points can be converted into something valuable, attackers can try to steal them.
How big is loyalty rewards fraud?
Loyalty fraud is a growing problem. According to DataDome’s loyalty fraud guide, loyalty fraud now accounts for 31% of all fraud attempts against online merchants, and millions of dollars in loyalty points sit vulnerable in inactive accounts.
That matters because many consumers do not monitor rewards accounts the same way they monitor checking accounts or credit cards.
How do hackers break into rewards accounts?
The most common method is account takeover. Attackers use stolen usernames and passwords from past data breaches and test those credentials across many websites. This is called credential stuffing. Verizon reported that compromised credentials were an initial access vector in 22% of breaches reviewed in its 2025 DBIR research, and credential stuffing can affect customers who reuse passwords across services.
Hackers may also use:
- Phishing emails pretending to be rewards alerts
- Fake “points expiring” messages
- Malware that steals saved passwords
- Social engineering through customer support
- Bots that test leaked credentials at scale
What are warning signs your loyalty account was hacked?
Watch for:
- Missing points or miles
- Password reset emails you did not request
- New devices or locations in login history
- Changed email address or phone number
- Redemptions you do not recognize
- Unexpected account lockouts
If something looks wrong, act quickly.
How can you protect your rewards accounts?
Use these simple cybersecurity habits:
- Create a unique password for every rewards account.
- Use a password manager to store strong passwords.
- Enable two-factor authentication when available.
- Check loyalty point balances regularly.
- Do not click links in unexpected rewards emails.
- Log in directly through the official app or website.
- Remove unused saved payment methods.
- Close rewards accounts you no longer use.
What should you do if your points are stolen?
Take these steps immediately:
- Change the account password.
- Enable two-factor authentication.
- Contact the loyalty program’s support team.
- Review recent redemptions and profile changes.
- Change reused passwords on other sites.
- Monitor email and financial accounts for suspicious activity.
Your loyalty rewards account may not look like a bank account, but hackers know those points have real value. Treat rewards accounts like financial accounts: protect them with unique passwords, monitor them regularly, and never trust urgent messages asking you to click a link to “save” your points.
