THIEVES are draining money from credit cards, PayPal and bank accounts using the Starbucks mobile app.
Starbucks chief digital officer Adam Brotman demonstrating mobile order and pay Cyber-criminals are reportedly draining up to "three figure sums" from the bank accounts of Starbucks customers who use the Apple iPhone, iPad and Android app.
Hackers are using 'vulnerable' Starbucks accounts to gain access to the coffee drinkers' bank accounts.
The thieves issued gift cards to themselves once they had successfully gained access via the website.
Occasionally, Starbucks receives reports from customers of unauthorized activity on their online account Starbucks statement Starbucks' auto-refill feature automatically draws more money from the customers' bank once the in-app funds are depleted.
Hackers would change the username and password to the app to lock customers out while the theft was taking place.
Starbucks is hugely popular. Its mobile app now accounts for one in every six transactions in US outlets.
Jean Obando, of Texas had $550 drained using his Starbucks app – which was linked to a PayPal account – he told CNN.
Starbucks issued a statement on their website about the incidents.
"News reports that the Starbucks mobile app has been hacked are false," it posted.
"Occasionally, Starbucks receives reports from customers of unauthorized activity on their online account.
"This is primarily caused when criminals obtain reused names and passwords from other sites and attempt to apply that information to Starbucks.
"To protect their security, customers are encouraged to use different user names and passwords for different sites, especially those that keep financial information."
Starbucks came under fire in January after a security vulnerability allowed app passwords to be stolen.
The Seattle firm has since issued an update which fixed the issue.
Express.co.uk reached out to Starbucks about the issue.
The company said it was unaware of any UK customers being affected by the hack.
[Source: GETTY]
