Fake Travel Points and Miles Scams via Phone Calls
How cold callers impersonating loyalty programme representatives trick frequent travellers into paying fees to unlock, protect, or transfer reward points.
Part of: Fake Travel Points & Miles Scams
Last reviewed: 9 June 2026
Loyalty programme fraud by phone targets frequent travellers who have accumulated valuable points or miles balances. A caller who identifies themselves as a representative of a loyalty programme and references the victim's account — sometimes with partial account details obtained from data breaches — can appear extremely credible. The call typically creates urgency: points are about to expire, the account has been flagged for suspicious activity, or a bonus points offer is available for a limited time.
Phone calls are effective for this scam because they allow the caller to manage the victim's objections in real time. A traveller who might scrutinise an email carefully may trust a caller who answers questions fluently, provides plausible-sounding explanations, and creates a conversational rapport.
How this scam works on phone calls
The most common version claims the victim's loyalty points are about to expire under a new policy and can only be preserved by paying a membership renewal fee or points protection charge. A second version claims the account has been compromised and a transfer fee is needed to move the balance to a secure account. In a third version, a points purchase offer is made: the caller can sell additional points at a below-market rate, but the points are never credited after payment.
Callers who have partial account information use it strategically, confirming the victim's name, partial account number, or recent booking history to appear legitimate before making the fee request.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited call referencing your loyalty programme account details
- Claim that points will expire imminently unless a fee is paid
- Offer to sell points at a below-market rate, payable upfront
- Transfer fee required to move points to a 'secure' account
- Caller requests payment by gift card or bank transfer rather than through the official programme portal
- Urgency to pay during the call before checking the programme website
How to protect yourself
- Hang up and log in directly to your loyalty programme account to verify any claimed expiry or security issue
- Contact the loyalty programme using the number on their official website, not the number given by the caller
- Know that legitimate loyalty programmes do not charge fees to preserve or transfer points
- Set up multi-factor authentication on your loyalty programme account
- Report suspicious calls claiming to represent loyalty programmes to the programme's fraud team
How to report it
- Report to the loyalty programme's official fraud team
- File a report with Action Fraud (UK) or the FTC (US)
- Contact your card issuer if fees were paid by card
Frequently asked questions
Do loyalty programmes really charge fees to prevent points expiry?
No. Legitimate loyalty programmes do not charge fees to preserve earned points. Expiry policies are clearly stated in programme terms and there are no hidden preservation fees. Any call claiming otherwise is fraudulent.
How can I check if my points are genuinely about to expire?
Log in directly to the loyalty programme's official website or app using the address you previously saved or found through a verified search. Do not use any link or number provided by the caller.