Thieves take millions of PC Optimum points, go on selling sprees

Lenore Biever mislaid some-more than one million PC Optimum rewards points after someone apparently hacked her comment and went on a selling spree.

The points — which are worth more than $1,000 in product rewards — were spent on Mar 7 during dual Loblaws-owned Pharmaprix drug stores in Laval, Que.

Biever lives in Saskatoon and has never been to Quebec.

“I was shocked,” she said, after finding a fraudulent transactions plus an denote that a poser cellphone had been related to her online account. “I’m still in shock, like how did [the thief] figure it out?”

Other PC Optimum members are seeking a same question.

CBC News interviewed 8 people opposite Canada who contend they’ve any had some-more than 100,000 points stolen from their accounts after Loblaws joined a dual rewards programs — PC Plus and Shoppers Optimum — to form PC Optimum on Feb. 1.

The reported thefts are only one some-more problem plaguing Loblaws, that is already traffic with technical glitches with PC Optimum, and fallout from a bread price-fixing scandal, including related fallout over seeking some people to send ID to collect a $25 present label as remuneration for a overpriced bread.

Loblaws joined a dual rewards programs — PC Plus and Shoppers Optimum — to form PC Optimum on Feb. 1 (CBC)

In a burglary cases CBC News investigated, many of a stolen points were redeemed for products during Loblaws-owned stores in Quebec.

All a complainants reported what happened to PC Optimum, though they told CBC they were carrying difficulty getting their cases resolved. After CBC News contacted Loblaws this week, roughly everybody quickly got their points back. 

Biever says she first reported a burglary to PC Optimum on Mar 8, the day after it occurred, and was positive a matter would be dealt with.

​”It’s scary,” pronounced Biever, who has her PC credit label related to her comment and was disturbed about her personal information being compromised. 

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Four days later, she perceived an email from a module saying that it had reset her comment cue after seeing “some surprising activity.” It pronounced if her comment had been hacked, a law-breaker would have been means to access her name, address, phone series and points balance.

However, a email said there was no justification of any “unauthorized activity.”

“Are we … teasing me?” pronounced Biever. “I couldn’t trust it.”

She called PC Optimum to explain once again that her comment had indeed been compromised and that she wanted her points back.

“I’ll phone them each day if we have to,” she said. 

‘Major problem’

Geri-Lynn Slogotski of Victoria told CBC News she mislaid 120,000 points — worth $120 in rewards — after someone seemed to hack her comment on Mar 5. According to her comment records, a culprit spent a points in Montreal during Maxi Cie, a Loblaws-owned supermarket.

She contacted PC Optimum on Mar 11 when she beheld a burglary and, notwithstanding serve inquiries, was still watchful for a fortitude when CBC News interviewed her on Monday.

So was her mother, Marge Kenney, who also lives in Victoria and had 390,000 points disappear from her comment on Feb.24. They were spent during a Loblaws Superstore in Calgary.

“I consider it’s a major, vital problem,” Slogotski said. “They’re substantially unequivocally struggling about what to do.”

Justin Lim of Toronto had 650,000 points stolen from his PC Optimum account. (CBC)

Justin Lim of Toronto mislaid 650,000 points — worth $650 — on Mar 17. 

After stating a burglary to PC Optimum, Lim detected a points were used to buy dual televisions during a Shoppers Drug Mart in Mississauga, Ont.

“What are they doing relocating brazen to forestall these confidence issues?” pronounced Lim. “I wish answers.”

@pc_optimum I’m still watchful for a $150 points value that was stolen from my comment on Feb 11 to be deposited behind into my account. You won’t answer my emails. Why?? Are we not endangered about fraud?

—
@502Downtowner

@pc_optimum Hey – I’ve been watchful on a response to a stolen points exploration for scarcely a month. A small help, please? Case 00622083

—
@ordyr

CBC News contacted Loblaws on Tuesday, and supposing a list of a 8 people interviewed for this story. Since then, most got their points behind and instructions on how to secure their accounts.

“We have clever confidence measures in place opposite a digital platforms and take any pointer of surprising activity really seriously,” orator Catherine Thomas said.

She pronounced Loblaws is committed to assisting everybody confronting points problems though concurred some members have faced “unacceptable delays.”

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At slightest 6 million Canadians are PC Optimum members. Thomas did not contend how many members have reported points thefts, nor did she explain how a heists might have happened. She stressed that members should emanate strong, singular passwords.

Biever says a PC Optimum deputy easy all her points and combined an additional 100,000 as a bonus. She was also educated to change her email password.

She says she skeleton to go on a selling debauch with her one million points, though she’s uncertain either she’ll collect any some-more in a future.

“They offer this giveaway program, though afterwards they put we during risk.”

Article source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/pc-optimum-account-hack-points-rewards-1.4586135?cmp=rss