Here’s How Much Frequent Flier Miles Are Worth on the Dark Web

Airline frequent flyer miles are commonly redeemed for airfare, upgrades, or hotels, but they can also be used by passengers to buy non-travel items like subscriptions or gift cards. Because of these varying uses and low security, hackers often target frequent flyer accounts in order to sell the reward points on the dark web.

Travelers know to keep careful watch over their belongings, cash, and passports when they fly, but most probably do not monitor their frequent flyer accounts very closely.

A new report from Comparitech warns that this inattentiveness is just what hackers on the dark web hope for. Their team compared several dark web markets to find out what the going rate for hacked frequent flier miles currently is, and their results show that there is a robust market for these illicit secondhand goods.

They found one vendor who lists reward points from dozens of top tier airlines, starting at 100,000 miles for about $884 (USD) (the prices go up or down as the value of Bitcoin and Monero fluctuate). For more common options, like British Airways, some sellers listed 100,000 miles for a mere $124 (USD). Comparitech estimates that most airlines price their points at between one and two cents per point, so dark web prices are truly a bargain in comparison.

Hackers can offer these miles to buyers in the form of reward points that can be redeemed for gift cards, which typically do not require ID or verification, or they might sell the hacked frequent flyer account itself to a customer. They can charge a premium to transfer the hacked miles into a so-called “clean account” first, thus limiting the buyer’s risk.

So how can you protect your miles?

First, use common sense cybersecurity practices, like choosing a strong, unique password for your frequent flyer account and monitoring the account frequently for any unauthorized activity.

Comparitech also recommends shredding your boarding pass after use, not posting pictures of boarding passes to social media, and not using public wifi to access your frequent flyer account.

[Photo: Shutterstock]