Report: Internet Hackers are Stealing and Selling Airline Miles (Video)

Internet hackers are stealing and then selling airline miles through the dark web. Veuer’s Natasha Abellard has the story.

Airline miles are certainly more valuable for people who often take to the skies, with points being earned when flights and other airline services are booked and paid for. Unfortunately, if they are valuable to people like us, they are at the same time an enticing target for criminals.

Indeed, hackers have set their sights on the cyber-skies, seeing airline miles as a way to make some good money. And where do they turn to get it? None other than the Dark Web, of course.

The friendly skies aren’t so friendly

As anyone who has racked up airline miles knows, they can be used for things like tickets and access to airport lounges as well as upgraded flights. Really it should be no surprise that hackers would be after them, and that there is a market for miles makes sense, too.

It also makes dollars.

As noted by Paul Bischoff, who is a privacy advocate at Comparitech.com, stolen airline miles for most of the biggest airlines are available. Not only that, but they can be purchased for substantially less than they are worth by way of Bitcoin and Monero, both of which are common on the Dark Web.

In a blog post, Bischoff wrote that Delta SkyMiles and British Airways were the most commonly listed. Recently, a total of 100,000 British Airways miles were found on sale for just $144, while 45,000 Delta SkyMiles could have been had for about $101.