Harvey Lemire from Windsor recently discovered that $140 worth of his Petro-Points had vanished mysteriously. Lemire, a long-time collector of Petro-Points, noticed the disappearance when he realized his point balance had unexpectedly dropped in late December. Investigation on the Petro-Canada website revealed that $70 of his points were redeemed at Petro-Canada locations he was unfamiliar with.
Despite his efforts to rectify the situation with Petro-Canada, Lemire has not yet had his points restored as of January 27. He hopes that his recent communication with Petro-Canada’s owner, Suncor, will lead to a resolution.
Lemire urged others with Petro-Canada cards or similar loyalty program memberships to monitor their point balances closely to avoid falling victim to similar incidents. He emphasized the importance of being vigilant with loyalty points, citing his own experience of unauthorized redemptions.
According to Jennifer Matthews, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Western Ontario, Lemire’s case is not an isolated incident. Matthews highlighted the prevalence of loyalty program fraud, often stemming from cybersecurity breaches that compromise personal information linked to digital loyalty accounts.
To safeguard against such incidents, Matthews recommended practicing good cyber hygiene, such as enabling two-factor authentication, changing passwords regularly, and avoiding suspicious links or attachments in messages. She cautioned against accumulating a large number of points without redeeming them promptly, as it could lead to significant losses in case of fraudulent activities.
Despite his ordeal, Lemire expressed his intention to continue collecting Petro-Points, hopeful that improved systems and awareness will help prevent future issues.