Aug 22, 2015, 2:16 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
This thread is dedicated to issues around American Airlines AAdvantage accounts being invaded, taken over or compromised resulting in theft of awards, miles, upgrades and other instruments - and related issues.
For issues about account freezes or closures, airline accusations of fraud against the AAdvantage programm and the like please see: Account audit / fraud: award / miles / SWU / VIP sale, barter, etc (consolidated).
If you find your account has been breached or have unexplained activity such as awards you did not arrange, contact AA immediately to protect and gain control over your account and to be made whole.
To help protect your account, be sure
If your email information is correct in aa.com, changes to your account should be sent to you as follows (even if someone changes your email address, though it's of no help if someone pirates your email account):
For issues about account freezes or closures, airline accusations of fraud against the AAdvantage programm and the like please see: Account audit / fraud: award / miles / SWU / VIP sale, barter, etc (consolidated).
If you find your account has been breached or have unexplained activity such as awards you did not arrange, contact AA immediately to protect and gain control over your account and to be made whole.
To help protect your account, be sure
- Have a strong, protected and secure password
- check your account periodically
- be aware and keep track of your transactions
- control or destroy documents such as boarding passes
- use antivirus software- if your personal computer is hacked they can gain control of your AA account
- Be very wary of logging into your account on public computers, like at internet cafés or the hotel business center, where keystroke loggers could be installed
If your email information is correct in aa.com, changes to your account should be sent to you as follows (even if someone changes your email address, though it's of no help if someone pirates your email account):
Dear JDiver,
Thanks for visiting AA.com. This email confirms that your account has been updated as follows.
Your contact information has been updated, but is not included in this e-mail for the security of your account.
If you did not change your contact information or if you have any concerns about your account, please contact aa.com Web Services.
If you have unsubscribed to one of our email products, we will remove your address from our mailing list as soon as possible. Please be aware that you may continue to receive emails for up to 10 business days.
If you have subscribed to AA email products and are not receiving them, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may use filters to prevent unwanted emails from reaching your inbox. Sometimes, these filters also block messages you want to receive. In most cases, adding us to your list of trusted senders will solve this issue. In AOL, select "Add Address"; in Yahoo! Mail, Outlook or Outlook Express select "Add To Address Book"; or Hotmail or MSN, select "Save Address(es)". If you need further assistance, contact your ISP's technical support department and ask how to "whitelist" emails from AA.
AA.com
American Airlines
Thanks for visiting AA.com. This email confirms that your account has been updated as follows.
Your contact information has been updated, but is not included in this e-mail for the security of your account.
If you did not change your contact information or if you have any concerns about your account, please contact aa.com Web Services.
If you have unsubscribed to one of our email products, we will remove your address from our mailing list as soon as possible. Please be aware that you may continue to receive emails for up to 10 business days.
If you have subscribed to AA email products and are not receiving them, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may use filters to prevent unwanted emails from reaching your inbox. Sometimes, these filters also block messages you want to receive. In most cases, adding us to your list of trusted senders will solve this issue. In AOL, select "Add Address"; in Yahoo! Mail, Outlook or Outlook Express select "Add To Address Book"; or Hotmail or MSN, select "Save Address(es)". If you need further assistance, contact your ISP's technical support department and ask how to "whitelist" emails from AA.
AA.com
American Airlines
Account fraud / breach: my account compromised, awards taken, etc.
Nov 16, 2016, 9:18 am
#392
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
Of course, if it was treated as a normal canceled mileage ticket for some reason, you need to call and have the miles put back into your account.
Nov 16, 2016, 9:33 am
#393
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Nov 18, 2016, 3:03 pm
#396
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
Nov 18, 2016, 4:27 pm
#397
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Aug 24, 2017, 4:11 pm
#399
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: STL
Programs: MR Plat Premier, IHG Spire, Hilton Diamond, Southwest CP
Posts: 623
Fraud: 220K miles stolen...now having trouble getting them back! (to merge)
Ouch. So my AA account got hacked on Sunday 8/13. Got an email alerting me that miles were used to book a ticket. Didn't look right and by the time I called AA just minutes later, I found out that three trips had been booked - one of which was actively in the air. All were tickets were booked using a different credit card (not mine as I don't keep one on file ever) but wiped out my miles.
Spoke to a couple of different phone agents that day that assured me all would be OK...I was lucky to catch it so fast...blah blah. Called back on Monday per their request to talk to Customer Service and go through the process of getting a new AA number and set up a new profile. Went through the questionable PNRs again and validated everything.
Heard nothing back all last week. Called again yesterday as I was a little surprised that the miles for the two trips that were not yet flown and were still not back in my account. Was told now that their policy is that the investigation could take up to 6 months to complete and no, I could not speak to anyone to get a little more clarity.
Wanting to book a trip in a month or two for my family with the miles, but obviously now am in a holding pattern. Not sure if there is a logical next step I should take. Thoughts??
Spoke to a couple of different phone agents that day that assured me all would be OK...I was lucky to catch it so fast...blah blah. Called back on Monday per their request to talk to Customer Service and go through the process of getting a new AA number and set up a new profile. Went through the questionable PNRs again and validated everything.
Heard nothing back all last week. Called again yesterday as I was a little surprised that the miles for the two trips that were not yet flown and were still not back in my account. Was told now that their policy is that the investigation could take up to 6 months to complete and no, I could not speak to anyone to get a little more clarity.
Wanting to book a trip in a month or two for my family with the miles, but obviously now am in a holding pattern. Not sure if there is a logical next step I should take. Thoughts??
Aug 24, 2017, 4:35 pm
#400
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Providence RI
Programs: American Exec Plat, Hyatt Refugeeist, Marriot Gold, Air Canada Cattle Class, Korean Air Morning Plat
Posts: 988
Ouch. So my AA account got hacked on Sunday 8/13. Got an email alerting me that miles were used to book a ticket. Didn't look right and by the time I called AA just minutes later, I found out that three trips had been booked - one of which was actively in the air. All were tickets were booked using a different credit card (not mine as I don't keep one on file ever) but wiped out my miles.
Spoke to a couple of different phone agents that day that assured me all would be OK...I was lucky to catch it so fast...blah blah. Called back on Monday per their request to talk to Customer Service and go through the process of getting a new AA number and set up a new profile. Went through the questionable PNRs again and validated everything.
Heard nothing back all last week. Called again yesterday as I was a little surprised that the miles for the two trips that were not yet flown and were still not back in my account. Was told now that their policy is that the investigation could take up to 6 months to complete and no, I could not speak to anyone to get a little more clarity.
Wanting to book a trip in a month or two for my family with the miles, but obviously now am in a holding pattern. Not sure if there is a logical next step I should take. Thoughts??
Spoke to a couple of different phone agents that day that assured me all would be OK...I was lucky to catch it so fast...blah blah. Called back on Monday per their request to talk to Customer Service and go through the process of getting a new AA number and set up a new profile. Went through the questionable PNRs again and validated everything.
Heard nothing back all last week. Called again yesterday as I was a little surprised that the miles for the two trips that were not yet flown and were still not back in my account. Was told now that their policy is that the investigation could take up to 6 months to complete and no, I could not speak to anyone to get a little more clarity.
Wanting to book a trip in a month or two for my family with the miles, but obviously now am in a holding pattern. Not sure if there is a logical next step I should take. Thoughts??
6 months for an investigation? That too me seems too long. I would book the holiday using cash now and see if you get the miles back.
Aug 24, 2017, 4:41 pm
#401
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: STL
Programs: MR Plat Premier, IHG Spire, Hilton Diamond, Southwest CP
Posts: 623
Good news is that nothing else seems to be hit, just this one AA account. Yes, 6 months is my point. I don't have the cash to book as I will be using my miles to book international business class for a 2018 trip. Problem is...might not have the answer back before the available flights are gone.
Anyone have a plan of attack that I have not thought of? A public twitter post was going to be a potential next step.
Anyone have a plan of attack that I have not thought of? A public twitter post was going to be a potential next step.
Aug 24, 2017, 4:43 pm
#402
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
Make a Police Report, but then the Cops would tell you it is a civil crime so fine a case in Small claims, and the Judge would put the case on hold, because the defendant would not show..
Is this someone fault that everyone has special rights....
Is this someone fault that everyone has special rights....
Aug 24, 2017, 5:10 pm
#403
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
Keep in mind, someone got your info from somewhere .... think about if it was random, targeted, or by someone that knows you. Two factor authentication is your friend.
Aug 24, 2017, 5:52 pm
#404
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Aug 24, 2017, 6:09 pm
#405
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
FWIW, my one experience with this was years ago. I noticed 25K missing from my account. It showed that miles were used for LBB-DFW round trip. By the time I noticed it, the trip had already been flown.
First of all, I would never cash in miles for such a short trip. Also, I had no reason to go to LBB.
As it ends up, someone whose (name or account number) was similar to mine had appeared at the ticket counter in LBB and cashed in miles for a trip. They thought they were using their own miles. The AAgent made a simple mistake when looking up the account to pull the miles.
They fixed the issue within a matter of days. Perhaps it even took just hours. All I'm saying is that it could possibly be a fat-finger typing error, instead of a premeditated crime.
First of all, I would never cash in miles for such a short trip. Also, I had no reason to go to LBB.
As it ends up, someone whose (name or account number) was similar to mine had appeared at the ticket counter in LBB and cashed in miles for a trip. They thought they were using their own miles. The AAgent made a simple mistake when looking up the account to pull the miles.
They fixed the issue within a matter of days. Perhaps it even took just hours. All I'm saying is that it could possibly be a fat-finger typing error, instead of a premeditated crime.