Medium riskEmail

Airline Miles Expiry Email Scam

This scam emails that your airline miles, hotel points, or loyalty rewards are about to expire unless you log in to claim or redeem them, leading to a fake page that captures your account and card details.

Quick verdict

Risk level
Medium risk
Scam type
Loyalty impersonation phishing
Main red flag
An email says your miles or points expire soon and links you to log in to claim them.
What to do first
Do not use the link. Check points in your loyalty account's official app or site.

What to know first

This scam emails that your airline miles, hotel points, or loyalty rewards are about to expire unless you log in to claim or redeem them, leading to a fake page that captures your account and card details.

Email scams, or phishing, remain one of the most common ways criminals steal logins, payment details, and money. A convincing message imitates a brand or contact and steers you toward a fake login page, a malicious attachment, or a fraudulent payment.

The core pattern to watch for is clear: An email says your miles or points expire soon and links you to log in to claim them. Do not use the link. Check points in your loyalty account's official app or site.

Related tricks worth knowing: the Loyalty Points Scam and the Fake Flight Booking Scam. For the wider picture, browse the Email Scams guides or run the message through our scam checker.

Scam statistics

Most reported
phishing was the most common type of cybercrime complaint reported to the FBI in 2023
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
$12.5B
total reported internet-crime losses in the US in 2023
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center

Tell-tale red flags

  • An expiry warning urging you to log in via a link
  • A login page that is not the official programme
  • Pressure that points expire imminently
  • A request for account or card details
  • A generic greeting with no membership number

Staying safe

  • Check your points in the loyalty programme's official app or site
  • Log in by typing the address yourself
  • Report the email as phishing and delete it
  • Enable two-factor authentication where available

How it usually reads

Example pattern, not a real report
Example pattern: 'Your 25,000 miles expire in 48 hours. Log in now to keep them active: [suspicious link]'

This is a fictional, anonymised example used to illustrate the pattern. It is not a verified real message, and any names are used only to show how the scam typically reads.

What to notice: An email says your miles or points expire soon and links you to log in to claim them.

Steps if you already acted

  • If you entered your login, change it immediately from a trusted device
  • Watch for unauthorised redemptions of your points
  • If you entered card details, contact your bank
  • Update the password anywhere you reused it

Common mistakes

  • Do not log in through expiry-warning links
  • Do not share account or card details via the link
  • Do not let expiry pressure rush you

Scams like this one

Medium risk Text Message

Loyalty Points Scam

This scam claims your loyalty points, reward balance, or air miles are about to expire and pushes you to redeem them through a link, which leads to a phishing page built to steal your account login or card details.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
High risk Online Shopping

Fake Flight Booking Scam

Fake flight booking scams use lookalike travel sites or fake 'agents' to advertise unusually cheap flights. They take payment by bank transfer or card for a ticket that is never issued or is quietly cancelled, and often follow up with a fake 'your flight is cancelled, call to rebook' message designed to harvest card and passport details.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Medium risk Email

Survey Reward Email Scam

This scam emails an offer of a gift, gift card, or cash reward for completing a short survey, often impersonating a known brand, then asks for a small shipping fee and card details or enrols you in recurring charges.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Your questions answered

Do loyalty programmes email login links about expiry?
You should check and redeem points by logging in to the official app or site directly, not via an email link. Treat such links as phishing.
My points really might expire. What do I do?
Log in to your official account to check the genuine expiry and redeem there, rather than acting on the email link.
I logged in through the link. What now?
Change your password from a trusted device, watch for unauthorised redemptions, and contact your bank if you entered card details.
Why target loyalty accounts?
Points have real value and can be redeemed or transferred, and the accounts often hold personal and card details scammers want.

Last reviewed June 2026 · Written & reviewed by the

Disclaimer: This page provides educational information only to help you recognise common scam patterns. It is not legal, financial, cybersecurity, or law enforcement advice, and it does not confirm whether any specific message, company, or person is genuine or fraudulent. When in doubt, contact the official organisation directly and report concerns to your local authorities.