Do you need to link your card to the Starbucks app?

TikTok user Miquela (@kella_k) recently shared a warning for Starbucks app users after discovering suspicious activity on her account.

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In a video with over 526,900 views, Miquela tells how someone gained access to her account, used her saved payment details and even redeemed her stars.

“PSA for anyone who uses the Starbucks app for mobile orders, to get stars or just to have a nice account,” begins Miquela.

What went wrong with the Starbucks app?

The woman explains that she uses the Starbucks app almost every day, mainly for mobile orders and collecting stars. But on a recent payday, things didn’t look good when she checked her bank account.

“I’m seeing all these Starbucks transactions,” she said, confused because it was so early in the morning that her local Starbucks wasn’t even open yet.

After Miquela noticed the unknown accusations, she checked her app history. To her horror, she discovered that someone had accessed her account and made several orders using her saved debit card.

“If your debit or credit card is pre-loaded into the app, I highly recommend removing it,” she warned.

The unknown user made several purchases, including four drinks with extra caramel and syrups, and a sandwich. Later, they returned to buy more drinks and snacks, making $33 in one visit and several more transactions throughout the day.

Finally, Miquela advises fellow users of the Starbucks app to avoid storing payment information in the app.

“Let’s just go to the drive-thru, hand over our card, and then look for stars,” she suggests.

As the final icing on the cake, Miquela also realized that the thief had also redeemed her stars, a perk that Starbucks offers to regular customers.

“As if using my card to buy drinks and food wasn’t enough, they redeemed my stars,” she concludes.

What are some ways to avoid being hacked?

Identity theft is a major problem in the US. In 2023, the Identity Theft Information Center reported that 353 million Americans had their personal information compromised – a 72% increase from 2021.

Fortunately there are ways to protect themselves online.

For example, multi-factor authentication is a protection method that all experts recommend because it effectively prevents anyone other than you from accessing your accounts.

Other methods include using password managers, becoming familiar with common phishing techniques, updating passwords often, and more.

According to his official websiteStarbucks encourages users to contact customer support immediately if they encounter any suspicious activity. The Daily Dot has contacted the company for more information.

Viewers share more advice

In the comments, users were baffled as to how this happened, while others shared their security tips.

“How is that even possible?!?!?” one user asked. “They must have gotten my password to log into the @Starbucks app and unfortunately I had my debit card saved as a payment method,” Miquela responded.

“Mine requires Face ID to load money onto my Starbucks card,” another user noted. “Isn’t that standard for everyone???”

“Have you enabled your two-factor authentication?” asked a third. Miquela also answered this question and wrote: “I didn’t… now I do!”

The Daily Dot reached out to Miquela via Instagram and TikTok. We also contacted Starbucks via email.

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