Hackers are Accessing McDonald’s App Accounts Place Fraudulent Orders

Are you using the McDonald’s app to save money or to place mobile orders? We have and we love it; however, it isn’t as secure as you think it is. Yes, you heard me correctly. The McDonald’s app has security flaws and you should be monitoring your account closely to prevent McDonald’s app fraud.

In the last 6 months, one of our accounts associated with the McDonald’s app had been hacked twice. Yes, twice. Both times, the hackers charged over $25.00 worth of food using the credit card information that is stored within the app. The first time, the card was canceled immediately. You know how much of a pain in the rear it is to get a new card and update everything that you have auto drafted from the account.

On Friday night, while sitting in bed watching television a notification from the bank popped up, stating that someone paid for food at McDonald’s in California. Mind you, I live near Fort Worth, Texas. After logging into the bank app to confirm the charge was legit. The pending charge showed the store number and location and then googled the phone number to McDonald’s store number listed on the transaction.

The phone call took place immediately and spoke to a manager to verify if the food hasn’t been delivered to the “hacker” yet. The manager put an immediate hold on the order and didn’t deliver it to the perpetrators. After contacting the fraud department at McDonald’s, there was nothing that they could do on their end and that it had to be disputed with the bank.

Current Password Requirements for Creating an Account to Use To Access the McDonald’s App

McDonald’s app requires that your password be between 6 and 12 alphanumeric characters and must contain at least one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, and one number. It doesn’t allow you to create secure passwords that aren’t easily cracked. Without the ability to use special characters or longer passwords, the password that you create when you sign up isn’t strong enough to keep potential hackers out.

What Makes a Password Strong?

To create a strong password, the app should give you the ability to make longer passwords using a mix of letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and symbols. You also don’t want to use any personal information of any form when you select a password. Also, skip using words that are easily guessed or are in the dictionary. The stronger the password you use the less vulnerable you are to McDonald’s app fraud.

You can use a password generator to create a strong password if you need help or if you come up with a sentence to help you remember your password. For example, use the sentence: Walmart takes @ll My $ after Payday 2. Your password would be Wt@m$aP2. Keep in mind the longer the password the better off you will be as long as you use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.

Use Facebook or a Google Account to Login to the McDonald’s Mobile Ordering App

McDonald’s app does give you the ability to use your Facebook API or Google api when you sign up for an account. I’ve always logged into my McDonald’s app using the Facebook API. Using the API, should help keep your account safer but even that can be hacked if you aren’t using strong passwords. So far, my account hasn’t been compromised yet. In order for someone to hack your McDonald’s app using Facebook or Google, they would have to be able to hack your account.

Do Monitor All Apps That Require Financial Information

With technology and unsecured apps, it gives cybercriminals and hacker’s access to more financial data. It is almost a dream come true for them while it is a major annoyance to us. Once you discover that your financial information was stolen, you have to spend several hours on the phone with your bank to report the fraudulant charges and request a new card or bank account number.

They are able to hack people’s username and passwords or even gain access to your credit/debit card or even your bank information. Once they have your financial information, they will attempt to make fraudulent charges costing businesses more than $445 billion dollars annually.

It is important that you monitor any app that has access to your financial information such as the McDonald’s mobile ordering app, to avoid McDonald’s app fraud. Careful monitoring can help you catch fraudulent charges quickly. See if you bank allows you to sign up to receive push notifications every time there is activity on your account. If it wasn’t for the notification from the bank, my ex-husband wouldn’t have likely caught the charge quickly or he might have missed it all together.

How to Avoid Fraudulent Charges Using the McDonald’s App

To protect yourself from potential fraudulent charges when using the McDonald’s app, we recommend that you follow these tips.

• Don’t store your credit card number in the app.
• Create your account and only use the coupons when you order in the drive thru or at the front counter.
• Delete the app entirely.
• If you want to use the mobile order, it appears that using the Facebook API seems safer (knock on wood). But it is important that you continue to monitor your account.

Don’t be a victim and let hackers have access to your McDonald’s mobile ordering and pay app. As I mentioned earlier, one of our accounts has been hacked twice. Both times, a hacker was able to purchase over $25 worth of food using our financial information.

According to the store manager, this isn’t the first time a customer has called to alert the store that someone hacked their McDonald’s app. McDonald’s should be taking preventative measures to help keep your account information from falling into the wrong hands. Fraudulent charges will eventually cost consumers more money when businesses are forced to raise their prices in order to offset the real cost of dealing with cyber-criminals.

Are you currently using the McDonald’s app? Have you become a victim of fraudulent charges?