Another interesting twist in the Air Miles saga. I only use Cash miles so this heavily affects me.
I received an email from Air Miles this morning:
Dear Steven,
This note is to make you aware that through our regular fraud monitoring processes, we have identified irregular activity occurring within a small number of in-store AIR MILES Cash transactions, where Cash Miles have been stolen. The personal information of all Collectors remains protected and has not been compromised. We are working diligently to resolve the situation and have already contacted our retail Partners, the police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
While this fraudulent activity impacts only Cash miles and not Dream miles, the security of Collector Miles is of utmost importance to us and therefore we are sending this update to all Collectors. In a desire to protect AIR MILES Cash Miles, we have temporarily removed the AIR MILES Cash option for in-store purchases. Collectors are still able to redeem Cash Miles for e-vouchers online at www.airmiles.ca. These reward options include brands such as Staples, Starbucks, Cineplex, the Bay, and more.
As we work through this issue, we ask that you continue to protect the security of your AIR MILES Account by maintaining the confidentiality of your Collector and PIN number.
To view your balance or update your Account information please visit www.airmiles.ca.
I have no idea why Air Miles was changed from all Dream Miles to these cash miles. Previously you could redeem your miles online for e-vouchers. Isn’t this less complicated?
If someone found my Air Miles card they could redeem without identification.
These loyalty programs should keep redemptions simple.