>> Rebecca: WE ARE BACK WITH A
WARNING ABOUT HACKERS HITTING
THOSE HARD EARNED TRAVEL LOYALTY
POINTS.
GIO'S BACK WITH DETAILS.
THIS WARNING COMES AS SO MANY
PEOPLE GET SET FOR THE SECOND
HALF OF SUMMER TRAVEL.
I WAS EVEN THINKING ABOUT
CASHING IN MY REWARDS FOR OUR
FAMILY TRIP.
>> Gio: THIS REALLY IS PRIMETIME
TO RACK UP THOSE POINTS AND TO
USE THEM FOR THOSE SUMMER TRIPS.
BUT THIS MORNING WE'VE GOT A
WARNING FOR YOU.
TURNS OUT HACKERS ARE LOGGING
RIGHT IN AND SWIPING THEM UP.
IT EVEN HAPPENED TO A TRAVEL
EXPERT.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
LANAI ANDERSON OF TEXAS PLANNED
TO USE HER SOUTHWEST REWARD
POINTS TO BOOK A TRIP FOR HER
20TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.
SHE SAID SHE WAS SHOCKED WHEN
SHE LOGGED INTO HER ACCOUNT.
>> WHEN I WENT INTO LOOK I
REALIZED 165,000 POINTS HAD BEEN
STOLEN FROM MY ACCOUNT ABOUT
THREE MONTHS EARLIER.
>> Gio: ANDERSON SAID THOSE
POINTS EQUALLED TO MORE THAN
$1,500.
>> I WAS EXTREMELY ANGRY.
I HAD BEEN SAVING THESE POINTS
FOR OVER TEN YEARS.
>> Gio: EXPERTS WARN LOYALTY
ACCOUNTS CAN BE EASY TARGETS BY
HACKERS.
>> THE WAY THE HACKERS ARE
GETTING INTO THESE ACCOUNTS IS
PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD.
WITH A SIMPLE NAME AND A PASS
WORD, YOU'RE TYPICALLY GAINING
ACCESS TO THESE SITES.
>> Gio: THE PAYOFF FOR SCAMMERS
CAN BE HIGH.
>> USED TO BE YOU HAD TO FLY TO
GET THE POINTS AND THOSE POINTS
WERE SUPER DUPER VALUABLE.
NOW WITH THESE CREDIT CARD AND
OTHER LOYALTY PROGRAM
EXTENSIONS, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS
POINTS VALUES GO UP.
>> Gio: ONCE THE HACKERS HAVE
YOUR POINTS, EXPERTS SAY THEY
ARE SELLING THEM ONLINE.
PLACES LIKE THIS WEBSITE THAT
CYBER SECURITY COMPANY CHECK
POINT SHOWED GMA.
CLINT HENDERSON WORKS IN THE
TRAVEL INDUSTRY FOR THE POINTS
GUY AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND
MORE THAN 400,000 MILES MISSING
FROM HIS AMERICAN AIRLINES
ACCOUNT.
THIS RECEIPT SHOWING ONE OF
THOSE TRANSACTIONS.
>> SOMEONE HAD HACKED INTO MY
ACCOUNT AND HAD SPENT ALMOST ALL
MY MILES ON CAR RENTALS FROM A
FEW DIFFERENT AIRPORTS.
>> Reporter: HENDERSON ADMITS HE
SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A FEW MORE
PRECAUTIONS.
>> I HAVE HAD THE SAME PASSWORD
AT AMERICAN AIRLINES SINCE THE
1990S.
AND SO PART OF IT'S MY OWN FAULT
BECAUSE I PROBABLY WASN'T
CHANGING MY PASSWORD AS OFTEN AS
I SHOULD HAVE.
>> Gio: IN BOTH HENDERSON AND
ANDERSON'S CASES, THEY SAY
THANKFULLY THE AIRLINES REFUNDED
THEM THEIR POINTS.
AND HACKERS AREN'T JUST SELLING
THESE POINTS ONLINE.
THEY'RE ALL REDEEMING THEM FOR
GIFT CARDS.
REBECCA, THEY ARE VERY, VERY
VALUABLE.
>> Rebecca: VERY VALUABLE AND SO
FRUSTRATING.
WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE DO TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES?
>> Gio: OKAY.
SO I WANT YOU TO HAVE A UNIQUE
PASSWORD FOR EACH AND EVERY
WEBSITE.
I KNOW THAT'S DAUNTING.
ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO DO.
I DO THAT WITH AN INTERNET
BROWSER.
MANY BROWSERS WILL ASSIGN RANDOM
PASSWORDS TO EACH WEBSITE FOR
YOU.
THEY WILL STORE THEM FOR YOU.
THEY WILL ALSO LET YOU KNOW IF
THOSE PASSWORDS HAVE BEEN
COMPROMISED IN A DATA LINK AND
WILL TELL YOU, HEY, TIME TO
CHANGE THAT RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S REALLY GOOD BECAUSE YOU
WANT TO KEEP THOSE PASS WORDS
UPDATED AS OFTEN AS