WineCountryUA

Absolute contact the UA fraud department. To do this initially call the standard UA numbers or MileagePlus Service Center -- explain the situation and ask specifically for the Fraud Desk. Today!

And file a police report but I suspect the response for the police will underwhelm you. They have bigger issues (small dollar, non-violent crime -- but there is likely a computer crime department).

FlyerChrisK

No, it doesn't. The passenger, whoever they were, underwent the same screening as everyone else on this flight.

Checking IDs against boarding passes is there to protect revenue for the airlines (by keeping you from easily reselling your nonrefundable tickets to someone else).

CCIE_Flyer

I don't follow the agent's logic here? If he/she feels this person must be so close to you, then why not identify them to you?? It's your account and should be able to verify the details of any transaction against it.

Has this moron never heard of keystroke loggers? And how many of us have found ourselves, at one time or another, needing to use a public use computer for which we have no control over the security measures taken (or not) to check or change something with an itinerary? Just truly absurd. I acknowledge the paradox here, but one truly hopes that karma visits a digital compromise on this individual resulting in irrevocable loss and suffering.

Kacee

This is the same reaction that customers initially got when they reported unauthorized cancellations of their CA itineraries - UA customer service refused to believe the activity was unauthorized and refused to do anything. It is to me a horrible indictment of UA's customer service that when presented with an instance of unauthorized account activity, their consistent first reaction is to blame the customer.

By contrast, I recently had unauthorized activity in my Amazon account. I called, and they GOT IT immediately. I could not be more satisfied with how quickly and effectively Amazon responded.

controller1

I thought the same thing. It appears to be systemic and if not part of their training it is at least in their mind what they believe their supervisor would approve.

GimmeLegRoom

To the OP, sorry to hear it happened. Of course I would go after it, afterall, you are out the miles, which I imagine for even a relatively (?) short flight, at standard award level, is not small change. I would not put up with the implication that you did it. I have been accused of cancelling a reservation (I forget all the circumstances exactly) online by UA in the last year, and their only point to stand on was that if it was "cancelled online", by their logic it MUST have been done by me. For all the reasons mentioned above, that is faulty logic.

dbaker

I highly doubt that the card belongs to the traveler or that the source of the ticket (e.g., a broker) is going to result in any information.

When, under any circumstance, has a company been able to charge arbitrary amounts to customer credit cards?

drewguy

60k miles one way.

Depart:
15:27
Fri., Jun. 6, 2014
Kosrae, Federated State of Micronesia (KSA)

Arrive:
02:50
Fri., Jun. 6, 2014
Honolulu, HI (HNL)
Flight Time:
8 hr 23 mn

Travel Time:
8 hr 23 mn
Flight: UA155
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Meal: Dinner
No Special Meal Offered.
See On-Time Performance
View Seats

2 Stops. Time on the ground in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands (KWA) is 39 minutes. Time on the ground in Majuro, Marshall Islands (MAJ) is 48 minutes.

dbaker

Have you ever actually filed a police report? The notion of the local cops pursuing a frequent flier mileage scheme reminds me of this. How would they compel information from UA, anyway? Get the DA's office involved and start issuing subpoenas?

nikolastojsin

OP, IMHO, the jurisdiction here belongs to the FBI. (You are also likely to get more traction from them than from the local police department.) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has a site for such complaints at:

http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx

Also, I would call and tell UA that you are reporting this to the FBI; their reaction is likely to be somewhat less dismissive, especially if you escalate.

Also, changing your current PIN, email address and CC - basically everything associated with you UA account - is probably an excellent idea.

Finally, if you know a local journalist...

sakaike

I think that the logic in filing a police report is that it will hopefully convey to the Fraud Department at UA that this is in fact a real problem, and not a situation as originally claimed by the customer service agent that someone close to the OP took the trip.

By filing the police report and then providing that report number to UA, the OP is telling UA that this is a serious matter (to the OP) and that they would like UA to also take it seriously.

I don't believe that anyone here actually believes that any police department in any jurisdiction would take this single case on its own seriously and actually do anything. But it might help the OP in making the case to UA that this is for real and not some sort of goof on the OP's part (or anyone close to him/her).

AlreadyThere

And the use of a third-party credit card (MP account in one name, flyer another name, credit card third name, conf e-mail not sent to address currently on account) somehow fails to indicate fraud?

kale73

My thought as well, especially since this involves an International flight. But even if it were Interstate domestic, I would assume the Interstate Commerce clause would give jurisdiction to the G Men.

craz

doesnt make a difference, they can out who did the booking but are Responsible. They can always go after whomever sold it or stole it for them (if it wasnt sold)

shengwan

Just changed my password and pin, I should probably do the same with my AA and Alaska account. Thanks for the advice.