‘A fraudster stole £1k of my Nectar points after my wife died’

I said that as far as I am aware there has only been one card issued. I enquired further and obtained a Nectar statement which shows my points being used across a number of days in the Midlands. I confirmed that I have never even visited this place. 

I also raised further questions about how it would be possible to spend more points than the accumulated total, thus ending up with the minus number of points. 

I felt fraud must have been committed, so I asked Sainsbury’s if it had a fraud department. I also requested the name and contact details of the managing director, as the staff had been so unhelpful.

The final response from Sainsbury’s was that it would be taking no further action in relation to my complaint. I am so very disappointed. Any points collected since last November have simply brought the minus total closer to zero, meaning I have received no benefit by continuing to be a Sainsbury’s customer.

– AB, Buckinghamshire

Dear reader,

I was really sorry to hear that you’d been the victim of fraud not long after you lost your dear wife to multiple sclerosis. You were baffled as to how this could have happened as you say you carry your Nectar card with you at all times, and it has never gone missing. 

I’m not sure whether you’re aware, but you’re far from the only Sainsbury’s shopper who’s been targeted in this way. Nectar card holders seem to be a common target for fraudsters, possibly because unlike a bank card, Nectar cards do not have a chip and lack secondary authentication, meaning they can be easier for criminals to use.

You were adamant that your wife, who was wheelchair bound for four years before she died in 2021, had given you her only Nectar card, as you started doing all the shopping when she became too disabled.

But when I asked Sainsbury’s what had happened, it confirmed the Nectar account in question had been set up 20 years ago with two cards issued. It also confirmed that this second card was the one used to spend all your points in the Midlands. This left you well and truly baffled.

I asked if there was any way the card, possibly buried inside an old wallet or clothing item, could have made its way into the wrong hands? Had you donated any of her clothing to charity, or had anyone been to the house to sort out her items, I asked you? Not until this year, you said, and no-one had access to your home either, you said, not even a cleaner. 

Unfortunately, we may never know who stole your Nectar points, but in better news, Sainsbury’s has agreed to reimburse your Nectar points and make up for the months you have been shopping with minus points. I understand these were caused by a system glitch which created a time lag, allowing the fraudster to spend more than the points available on the account.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman said, “We have contacted Mr. B to apologise for his experience and arranged for his Nectar points to be refunded to a new account. We have also added 2,000 extra points to his account for the inconvenience.”