Originally Posted by
Paulchili
What am I missing here?
The identity of the passenger was never a mystery. The ticket had to be issued to a specific person and that passenger had to show photo ID (including the passport #) at check in.
Unfortunately, criminals have been using fake ID's to get credit, open bank accounts and otherwise commit fraud in the name of other people for years, leaving the victims with big bills that they have to prove aren't their responsibility. That they have moved on to frequent flier miles is probably a sign that since other accounts that store real dollars have tightened up, they are moving to easier targets.
The airlines and other award organizations need to up their security game. At the very least they should offer two factor authentication for mileage accounts. And their customers need to accept the inconvenience of using such tools.