Grand Haven man accused of stealing $1M in Meijer mPerks rewards from customers

A Grand Haven man has been arrested and arraigned in connection with the theft of Meijer customers' loyalty points, costing the Grand Rapids-based chain of supercenters $1 million, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday.

According to Nessel's Office, 22-year-old Nicholas Mui was arraigned in 59th District Court in Kent County on Dec. 27. Mui is facing seven counts of identity theft, a five-year felony, one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, and one count of using a computer to commit a crime, both 20-year felonies.

Meijer customers establish their accounts to participate in the mPerks rewards program and build store credit points with their purchases. The points can be used as cash value.

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Nessel said Meijer customers and mPerks account holders had their accounts compromised, log-in credentials sold online, and their accrued purchase points stolen and used fraudulently.

Consumers alerted Meijer to the thefts in April and May 2023. Customers complained of vanishing points on their accounts, prompting the company to contact the Michigan State Police. The case was a joint investigation involving Meijer corporate investigators, the MSP fraud investigation section, and a team from the attorney general's office.

In September, a search warrant was executed, resulting in the seizure of $400,000 in cash and cryptocurrency, according to a news release announcing the charges.

Meijer reinstated the full balance to customers with verified thefts, at a cost to the company in excess of $1 million. Hundreds of customers were affected, Nessel said.

"It is our belief we apprehended the main operative and driver of this sophisticated, widespread criminal enterprise," Nessel said.

Nessel said the alleged scam highlights the need for consumers to "exercise smart password discipline," including changing passwords at regular intervals and not using the same user names and passwords across multiple platforms.

Mui's next court appearance, a probable cause conference, is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 9, in Kent County.

According to its website, the family-owned Meijer operates more than 240 supercenters in six states: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The supercenters carry groceries and general merchandise, including clothing, electronics, toys, and sporting goods.

In a statement, Meijer said: "We appreciate the efforts of the Michigan State Police and the Attorney General’s FORCE Team, in partnership with our Asset Protection team, to bring this individual to justice. This situation highlights the importance of changing passwords often and not using the same password for multiple platforms. We encourage any customer who believes they were a victim of this individual’s actions to contact Meijer customer care at 1-877-363-4537."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: AG Nessel: Grand Haven man stole $1M in Meijer mPerks rewards