Michigan Man Faces 20 Years in Prison for Stealing Mperks Data From Meijer Customers

A 22-year-old West Michigan man has pleaded guilty and could spend 20 years in prison for a massive mPerks theft scheme targeting Meijer customers last year.

Nicholas Mui of Grand Haven will also give up $630,000 in cash and cryptocurrency and surrender his computer.

mPerks Scheme Costs Meijer More Than $1 Million

Last year, Meijer customers across Michigan began noticing that their mPerks points were disappearing. Shoppers earn points for most purchases and can redeem those points toward cash off merchandise, gas discounts, and select free items.

The Michigan Attorney General's office assigned a task force to work with state police and Meijer's corporate team to investigate the fraudulent activity.

Meijer reinstated point balances for all customers who had their points stolen, at an estimated cost of more than $1 million to the company.

Michigan Man Defrauds Meijer Customers

After a lengthy investigation into the scheme, Mui faced up to 10 felonies related to defrauding Meijer customers.

Court documents show that Mui has admitted to fraudulent activity to numerous companies in addition to Meijer since 2019, according to WOOD-TV.

The AG's office says Mui obtained the login credentials for mPerks customers in a separate data breach, then cross-referenced that information to access the mPerks system. He then sold the login credentials on the internet and those who purchased the data used those logins to drain customers' accounts and make fraudulent purchases from Meijer's website and in stores.

Mui pleaded guilty on Monday (7/15) according to CBS Detroit, and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5.

Keep Your mPerks Data Safe

Experts say it's always a good idea to keep tabs on your account and watch for purchases you didn't make.

It's best to avoid sharing passwords and use strong passwords to safeguard against criminals. Experts say to avoid using PIN codes that represent birthdays or anniversaries. Those dates are often obtainable on social media and can be used by scammers.