Purchasing Amazon gift vouchers through accelerated reward portals and using them for utility bills or insurance payments is a common practice among new-generation credit card users in India. But what if I told you that your purchased Amazon gift voucher could be used by someone else before you even add or use it?
Yes, this is possible, and it has recently happened to several people. Two individuals, Nipun and Ronak, shared their experiences with me. They purchased Amazon gift vouchers from the InterMiles portal, only to find some of their vouchers were already used. They’re not alone—after sharing their stories on social media, around 20 more people reported facing the same issue.
To give you a better understanding, here’s Nipun’s story with dates and proofs:
None of the involved companies—InterMiles, Amazon, or Qwikcilver (the issuer of Amazon vouchers under Pine Labs Private Limited)—are taking responsibility or conducting internal investigations.
Stay cautious and spread the word—your vigilance can help others avoid similar losses.
Update (6th January, 2025):
People are replying on Twitter and in WhatsApp groups, stating that this issue is occurring across multiple platforms.
A common factor in all these cases is that the vouchers were issued by Qwikcilver.
Yes, this is possible, and it has recently happened to several people. Two individuals, Nipun and Ronak, shared their experiences with me. They purchased Amazon gift vouchers from the InterMiles portal, only to find some of their vouchers were already used. They’re not alone—after sharing their stories on social media, around 20 more people reported facing the same issue.
To give you a better understanding, here’s Nipun’s story with dates and proofs:
Nipun's Case
- December 11, 2024: Nipun purchased seven Amazon gift vouchers worth ₹5,000 each from the InterMiles portal. He immediately added three of them to his Amazon account and kept the remaining four for future use.
- December 16, 2024: When he tried adding the remaining vouchers to his Amazon account, he received an error: "This voucher has already been used."
- Nipun immediately contacted InterMiles for resolution, but they seemed clueless. He then reached out to Amazon for help.
- Amazon requested the "Gift Voucher ID" to track the issue, without which they couldn’t assist further.
- When Nipun went back to InterMiles for the voucher ID, they first sent incorrect information. After following up multiple times, it took 15 days to get the correct voucher ID.
- After tracking, Nipun discovered that the voucher had been used on December 15, 2024, and the entire ₹5,000 had been spent.
- When Amazon was asked to disclose the identity of the person who used the voucher, they declined but confirmed the name didn’t match any of Nipun’s family or friends.
- He has also filed a complaint with cyber crime department
A Widespread Problem
This isn’t an isolated incident. Similar issues have been reported with Flipkart vouchers purchased through the HDFC SmartBuy portal (powered by Gyftr). Victims, including Nipun, have lost substantial amounts—Nipun alone lost ₹20,000 in Amazon vouchers. Some users have reported losses exceeding ₹1 lakh due to this issue.None of the involved companies—InterMiles, Amazon, or Qwikcilver (the issuer of Amazon vouchers under Pine Labs Private Limited)—are taking responsibility or conducting internal investigations.
A Strange Pattern
A peculiar detail shared by victims is that most purchased their vouchers during the last week of November or the first week of December 2024, and the vouchers were used around December 15, 2024. This pattern suggests a potential security breach, but the exact cause remains unclear.What Should You Do?
If you’ve purchased any vouchers during November or December 2024, take the following steps:Preventive Measures
- Add the vouchers to your account immediately or check their balance online using the issuer’s balance-checking facility.
- Avoid storing vouchers for future use unless absolutely necessary.
If You Face Issues
- Contact the issuer immediately to report the issue.
- File a complaint with the Cybercrime Department to initiate an investigation.
- File a chargeback with your credit card issuer, providing all necessary proof of the fraudulent activity.
- Join groups of other victims to discuss and plan further action. Collective efforts may push companies to take the issue seriously.
Final Thoughts
This issue has affected many users, causing them to lose their hard-earned money. Companies like InterMiles, Amazon, and Qwikcilver must step forward, conduct internal investigations, and ensure such problems don’t recur. Protecting customers should be their top priority.Stay cautious and spread the word—your vigilance can help others avoid similar losses.
Update (6th January, 2025):
People are replying on Twitter and in WhatsApp groups, stating that this issue is occurring across multiple platforms.
- One person reported purchasing an Amazon gift voucher from the OneCard app, only to find that the voucher had already been used.
- Another individual posted in a WhatsApp group that they redeemed reward points for Shoppers Stop vouchers via the ICICI Bank credit card portal. However, some of these vouchers were already used, and ICICI Bank has yet to resolve the issue.
- A third person shared that they purchased a Flipkart voucher from the HDFC SmartBuy portal, discovered it was already used, but SmartBuy has acknowledged the issue and promised a resolution soon.
A common factor in all these cases is that the vouchers were issued by Qwikcilver.
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