The mystery of disappearing Nectar points: Cardholder discovers his points had been spent 100 miles away

Brian Brown, 58, diligently saves the Nectar points he earns every time he shops at Sainsbury’s or on eBay.

Over the past 14 years, they have managed to collect over 96,000 by spotting promotional offers that can provide you with up to 500 in one go.

The official uses the points to refuel his car every time he visits his family, more than 320 kilometres away in South Wales.

Nectar points knock £100 off your fuel bill when you make the trip two or three times a year.

But a few weeks ago, on June 24, she logged into her account to discover that 92,000 points (worth £460) had disappeared.

His account activity history showed that Brian’s hard-earned points had been spent at a Sainsbury’s store in Wolverhampton, a city he had never visited, more than 100 miles from his address in Wakefield.

Brian changed his password immediately and informed Nectar about the missing points the next morning. Nectar cancelled his account and told him it would transfer the 96,000 points to a new card.

Brian, who asked to change his name, said: “I was in shock. How did someone get my card number? What other details did they get from my account?”

He believes there should be security measures in place so that customers can redeem a large amount of points.

“If I spent that amount with my credit card, my phone would ask me to confirm the purchase,” he explains.

Several readers have written to Money Mail over the past two months with similar stories to Brian about missing Nectar points.

One reader told Money Mail that £50 worth of points disappeared from her account between February and April.

Another person lost £100 worth of points after redeeming them in a different county to themselves.

A quick search on social media websites suggests dozens more people have seen their spots disappear in the past month.

Around 18 million people have a Nectar account, which allows them to collect points while shopping at stores such as Argos, eBay and Sainsbury’s, which can then be used to purchase items at these and other selected retailers.

At Sainsbury’s, a Nectar card also allows shoppers to access Nectar Prices, which are discounts on popular grocery products.

Customers typically earn one point for every £1 spent, with some exceptions. Each point is worth 0.5p, so customers typically need to spend £200 to earn £1 in Nectar points.

It is unclear how the points disappear from buyers’ accounts – whether they are spent by thieves or if something else happens.

Technology expert David McClelland previously said Nectar cards could be cloned by fraudsters who forge a copy of a customer’s card.

However, shoppers don’t need their physical card to collect and redeem Nectar points – they can also use the app in-store or an online account if they shop on a website.

This means that if scammers know your login details for your online account or application, they do not need to possess the physical card to gain access to the points.

Nectar’s response does not shed any light on why these points are disappearing or how they are used. A spokesperson says he cannot go into detail about the fraud or share more specific details.

Nectar’s “collecting rules,” which are available on its website, state that the company is not responsible for any unauthorized use of points.

But a Nectar spokesperson says that if a customer suspects they have been the victim of fraud, it will be “thoroughly investigated” and their points may be refunded.

Four weeks ago, freelance sports TV director Richard Coventry was celebrating his eldest daughter’s 16th birthday at home in Sheffield when 18,000 Nectar points disappeared from his account.

Two days later, the 47-year-old father-of-two logged into his Sainsbury’s Nectar account to find the points, worth £90, had been redeemed in Oldbury, a market town 80 miles away.

“I contacted Nectar and they said the activity seemed suspicious, so they would suspend the account and send another card, but this could take up to ten days,” she says.

Adam French, an expert at personal finance website NerdWallet, says that if points have disappeared from your account, you should gather proof of your previous balance and take it to Nectar customer service for help.

‘If you suspect they have disappeared due to fraudulent activity, review your account to identify when and how your points have been used.

‘If you discover any unauthorized purchases, please contact Nectar and request a refund for such transactions.’

Retired police officer Graham Adlem was called into action four weeks ago when he discovered that 18,000 Nectar points, worth £90, had been redeemed in Morecambe, Lancashire, about 230 miles from his home in Fareham, Hampshire.

The 76-year-old logged into his account to see if any points had been loaded from an Argos store, but received a message saying “thank you for spending your points”.

She called Nectar, who told her it would investigate her case immediately, get her points back and send her a new card.

Graham received his new card and was awarded 18,000 goodwill points last week, three weeks after his points originally disappeared.

The grandfather of four said: “The man on the phone was trying to imply that it was a system failure. I want to know what happened. What’s wrong with their system?”

This is a question that Richard Coventry also asks himself.

“First of all, this should not happen,” he says.

“I want my card to work again.”

Richard has already received his new card and last week he got his 18,000 points back. However, he is still missing the points that were left in his account when it was closed.

A Nectar spokesperson said: ‘The security of our customers’ accounts is of paramount importance and we have a number of measures in place to help us detect, and in many cases prevent, fraud.

‘Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and using a variety of tactics.

‘While fraud cases affect a small proportion of our 18 million cardholders, if a customer suspects they have been a victim, we recommend they contact the Nectar Hotline team who will investigate thoroughly.

‘In the first instance, we review the account to identify any unusual activity, such as completed redemptions for items outside of your normal purchasing behavior.

“If we find this out, we will refund the points and if it is not so clear we will investigate further.”

• Let us know if your Nectar points have disappeared. Contact l.evans@dailymail.co.uk