This story has been trending on Weibo lately.

Recently, a growing number of celebrities have posted on Weibo saying that their airline miles were stolen and misused. Since September 9, the affected celebrities reportedly include Leo Wu, Jiang Yingrong, and Li Chen. In some cases, the abusers were even fans of the celebrities. They allegedly used the celebrities’ ID information to link airline loyalty accounts, quietly accumulated miles, and then redeemed those miles for flights for themselves and friends by adding authorized beneficiaries. Some even used the miles to fly out and chase other celebrities.

One likely reason these celebrity airline miles were stolen is the airlines’ beneficiary transfer system: after logging into a celebrity’s account, the abuser could add a beneficiary and then redeem the miles. But how did they get access to the celebrities’ private information in the first place? On some e-commerce platforms, sellers have openly bought and sold celebrities’ private information, such as flight numbers, national ID numbers, and phone numbers. Some sellers claim they stay in Hengdian, follow celebrities’ schedules, and know people inside talent agencies, allowing them to obtain such information. In addition, employees at airlines, hotels, and other businesses are also cited as possible sources of information leaks.

HT: Sina Entertainment

On September 6, a fan of Leo Wu revealed that a so-called “site sister” had stolen Wu Lei’s frequent flyer miles and redeemed plane tickets so she could follow him as a fan. According to the post, this fan, named “Shen Chao,” had been misusing Wu Lei’s personal information since 2017, redeeming his miles for flights for herself and her friends. She even allegedly used his miles to buy tickets to follow other celebrities, seriously harming Wu Lei’s interests.


The airlines that have been publicly linked to these incidents include Air China and China Southern Airlines.

Note: “站姐” is a Chinese internet slang term referring to idol fans who carry professional cameras, and by extension, organizers or managers of fan support sites for celebrities and idols. The term originated in Korean fandom culture.