Michigan man pleads guilty in mPerks cybertheft that cost Meijer more than $1 million

(CBS-DETROIT) – A 22-year-old Michigan man will give up $630,000 in cryptocurrency and cash, as well as his computer tower, after he was stolen in a massive mPerks cyber theft system This cost Meijer more than $1 million.

Nicholas Mui of Grand Haven pleaded guilty Monday to leading a criminal organization in connection with the theft and sale of information related to mPerks accounts, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office said.

Mui was indicted in December 2023 following a lengthy investigation by the Michigan State Police Fraud Investigation Unit and the FORCE team. He faced up to ten charges related to the fraud scam.

mPerks is Meijer’s loyalty and rewards program that allows customers to earn points that can be used as cash for in-store purchases.

The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Mui obtained the login credentials of some mPerks users in a separate data breach, matched that data to access the mPerks infrastructure and sold the data on the internet. Those who bought the login credentials used the point balances to make their own purchases at Meijer online and in stores.

Mui is said to have run the criminal enterprise from his home in Ottawa County.

Meijer first became aware of the thefts in April and May 2023, when customers complained that mPerks points had disappeared from their accounts.

Meijer has since restored all previous mPerks balances of customers affected by the theft, leaving the company with an estimated loss of over $1 million.

“I commend the hard work and dedication of the FORCE team, the Michigan State Police and Meijer that led to this conviction,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Their complex investigation was instrumental in securing hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation and protecting a loyalty program used by many in our state.”

Mui’s sentencing is scheduled for September 5.