Status match fraud
 

I didn't really know where to ask this, as most places people won't know what a status match is. Basically I know someone who is selling "status'" on various websties. What he is doing is submitting fake credentials (photoshopped with the persons name) from one airline to the other in order to obtain a match. I was wondering what, if any, legal trouble could he get into if he were caught? I care about him a lot and have asked him to stop but he sees it as easy money.

Who cares.

Definitely an interesting ethics question. Of course, if he reads flyertalk, he knows now what you're trying to do, so I suspect your relationship has just become toast.

I guess, if you're really troubled by it, you could start by submitting evidence to the various frequent flyer program status match numbers (as posted on Flyertalk)?

That's rude...

To answer your question I'm pretty sure the airlines could take away any status and suspend him from their FF programs, but I'm not really sure. Hopefully someone else can help you.

I could do that. I'm worried that like couldn't delta sue him or something? Or is it breaking any laws regarding fraud?

Well, if he's cutting and pasting the same phoney itinerary over and over, eventually the airlines should figure it out. I guess with software, you can change the flown flight info, too, and make it look legit.

Wrong forum, at a minimum.

How about all the people who earned status the hard way who now have to compete with the fraudulent Johnny-come-latelys for upgrades and award redemptions?

Guess the gig was good while it lasted....:)

as many on here would say.... They aren't true FF'ers to begin with so the impact "should" be minimal... I happen to live in one of the markets where it affects the situation on a regular basis....

What impact do you speak of?

Also, how about the impact on the airline's willingness to perform status matches in the first place? When people abuse systems, the systems get changed or eliminated.

I believe it's a felony if he is using the U.S. Postal Service to send/receive anything involved with this scam. Not sure how the wire fraud act handles internet-only scams, but it's probably similar.

my friend, has this situation
 

Hello Doctor, a friend of mine has a large battery-powered object lodged in his rectum. I'm calling to ask if I, I mean err my friend, could easily resolve the situation without visiting the hospital

and if the person is doing it multiple times he most likely will not be able to make the status on his own in the future and no programme will status match someone again a second time, especially when they have not been able to keep up a previous status match.