CX pilot scams $36k from AC
#61
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,294
I'll remember that next time I find your door or window unlocked or easily unlockable, and notice you have some nice equipment I'd like to take.
#62
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,435
'Mystery shopper' promo code scam cost Air Canada thousands - British Columbia - CBC News
The quality control scheme is supposed to work using anonymous shoppers who agree to provide detailed evaluations of goods and services in exchange for discounts.
The mystery shoppers themselves were not supposed to be given the promo code. Instead, they paid full-fare for their travel through SQM, which in turn used the code provided by Air Canada to book the flights at a discount. Once travellers turned in their evaluations, SQM gave them a refund of 50 per cent.
According to SQM President David Lipton, the man who leaked the code was a mystery shopper who was not supposed to have access to privileged information.
But he managed to crack the key, slipping the magic number to Tacchi — who was never a mystery shopper; he then used it to book four trips for himself and his family at a total value of $22,739.
He also helped friends fraudulently obtain another $13,000 worth of flights, not to mention the $554 worth of frequent flyer points he earned in the process.
#63
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E75K, Amex Plat, NEXUS, Aman-user (not really a -junkie)
Posts: 1,721
Not true as the actual mystery shopper never had the code and was not supposed to but obtained it and passed it on.
'Mystery shopper' promo code scam cost Air Canada thousands - British Columbia - CBC News
The quality control scheme is supposed to work using anonymous shoppers who agree to provide detailed evaluations of goods and services in exchange for discounts.
According to SQM President David Lipton, the man who leaked the code was a mystery shopper who was not supposed to have access to privileged information.
'Mystery shopper' promo code scam cost Air Canada thousands - British Columbia - CBC News
The quality control scheme is supposed to work using anonymous shoppers who agree to provide detailed evaluations of goods and services in exchange for discounts.
According to SQM President David Lipton, the man who leaked the code was a mystery shopper who was not supposed to have access to privileged information.
#64
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 7,995
Quote:
DrunkCargo
This was possible? I've never had occasion to test this, hence personally unaware... jokes about AC IT aside, this seems a dangerous loophole as I'd imagine there would be persons on manifest not actually onboard?
I wonder if he pilots for KA by just timestamping at the jetbridge and turning back. =)
Keep in mind this was the middle of the last decade. AE was a lot more innocent/naive then than now.
It's not as if AE was going to verify boarding passes to a passenger manifest.
Also doing more than one segment/day between the same city pair won't automatically credit points to your account.
DrunkCargo
This was possible? I've never had occasion to test this, hence personally unaware... jokes about AC IT aside, this seems a dangerous loophole as I'd imagine there would be persons on manifest not actually onboard?
I wonder if he pilots for KA by just timestamping at the jetbridge and turning back. =)
Keep in mind this was the middle of the last decade. AE was a lot more innocent/naive then than now.
It's not as if AE was going to verify boarding passes to a passenger manifest.
Also doing more than one segment/day between the same city pair won't automatically credit points to your account.
#65
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,294
#66
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: YXE
Posts: 3,050
The whole case reeks of an unnatural criminal co-prosecution of the defendant by both the Crown and by Air Canada's internal security department, including the evidence offered of the value of the frequent flyer points awarded.
#67
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: Bottom feeder Star Gold
Posts: 2,652
This was not, to use the defendant's own words, a simple "error of judgment" (yes, he is foolish enough to weigh in on his own prosecution thread on another forum - he simply can't help himself from doing so).
#68
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: ACMM SE100K; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum Elite
Posts: 957
When the unlimited flight pass was in play in Oct/Nov 2005 it did not. I, along with others who were flying it (including Mr. Tacchi) learned this the hard way when doing multiple YVR-YYJ RT's the same day.
It may have been corrected by now (never had the pleasure of trying it now - even during the recent EYW).
It may have been corrected by now (never had the pleasure of trying it now - even during the recent EYW).
#70
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,294
When the unlimited flight pass was in play in Oct/Nov 2005 it did not. I, along with others who were flying it (including Mr. Tacchi) learned this the hard way when doing multiple YVR-YYJ RT's the same day.
It may have been corrected by now (never had the pleasure of trying it now - even during the recent EYW).
It may have been corrected by now (never had the pleasure of trying it now - even during the recent EYW).
I'm commenting about current behavior.
#71
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: YXE
Posts: 3,050
I'm curious what makes you think this is unnatural in any way, if you think the Crown frivolously prosecutes people in this country, what the motivation to do so might be in this case, and why an airline would pursue baseless legal action and incur its associated costs?
The case somewhat reminds me of a case a few years involving the CN police whereby the railway allegedly used its own internal police force to criminally investigate and charge one of its own former managers. Its a very slippery slope, if corporations engaged in civil disputes with their (former) employees or even in this case, a customer, can procure the use of the criminal court system in pursuit of the goal of a civil settlement.
#72
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,435
The legal action, whether civil or criminal, to recover the full cost of the tickets, certainly was not baseless. But Air Canada had a completely wholesome remedy available to it in the civil courts. And AC certainly wasn't blameless -- proper IT systems instead of merely a magical coupon code would have prevented this. Basic due diligence was not performed.
Also disagree that this is on AC as someone who shouldn't have had a code obtained it improperly and then passed it on to second party who also shouldn't have had it and it was used improperly plain & simple.
#73
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 71
The legal action, whether civil or criminal, to recover the full cost of the tickets, certainly was not baseless. But Air Canada had a completely wholesome remedy available to it in the civil courts. And AC certainly wasn't blameless -- proper IT systems instead of merely a magical coupon code would have prevented this. Basic due diligence was not performed.
The case somewhat reminds me of a case a few years involving the CN police whereby the railway allegedly used its own internal police force to criminally investigate and charge one of its own former managers. Its a very slippery slope, if corporations engaged in civil disputes with their (former) employees or even in this case, a customer, can procure the use of the criminal court system in pursuit of the goal of a civil settlement.
The case somewhat reminds me of a case a few years involving the CN police whereby the railway allegedly used its own internal police force to criminally investigate and charge one of its own former managers. Its a very slippery slope, if corporations engaged in civil disputes with their (former) employees or even in this case, a customer, can procure the use of the criminal court system in pursuit of the goal of a civil settlement.
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,254
I'm somewhat surprised to hear this (not entirely naive about it - just a bit surprised). As you alluded, he was a big contributor here back in the day... one of the handful of old-timey members here who welcomed me and showed me the way of being a frequent flyer. I remember meeting him and our conversations at airports and at various DOs. Oh well. *Le sigh*.