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A woman has been arrested after using a flaw in gas pump software to get $27 worth of free gas, revealing an unusual case of technological fraud.
A 45-year-old woman was arrested for stealing gasoline worth more than 27 thousand dollars, using a software flaw in fuel pumps. The arrest took place after a investigation detailed report that revealed how the criminal exploited a vulnerability in the fueling system of a gas station in Lincoln, in the US state of Nebraska.
System failure would allow free gasoline supply
The case began when police received a tip from Bosselman Enterprise's loss prevention manager, responsible by the Pump and Pantry fuel station. On October 20, 2023, the manager reported that a fraud scheme involving free fuel was taking place.
Further investigation revealed that in November 2022, the fuel pump received a software update that, when implemented, was intended to manage orders and rewards cards.
The update was requested by customers and station staff, but a glitch in the system allowed anyone using a credit card to rewards specifically could place the bomb in a “demo mode“, making the fuel available free of charge.
Card tracking leads to Thompson's arrest
Police discovered that the rewards card used to activate the fraud was being used repeatedly to illegally refuel vehicles. Through a thorough investigation, officers were able to trace the card’s use and identify Dawn Thompson as the perpetrator of the fraud.
Security camera footage confirmed Thompson's presence at the gas station on multiple occasions, filling her vehicle with large amounts of gasoline. Authorities estimate that between November 13, 2022, and June 1, 2023, she stole approximately 7.413,59 gallons of gas, costing the gas station a total of $27.860,27 in damages.
Fuel scheme involved several people
In addition to Thompson, police also identified another woman who used the rewards card to obtain reduced-price gas. The woman said she paid Thompson $500 in exchange for $700 worth of gas on at least 10 occasions.
This second person further stated that Thompson sold the card in June 2023, at which point the fraud system was finally fixed.
The investigation revealed that Thompson had received the card as payment for a debt owed by a man who could not be located as he died in January 2024.
After months of investigation, Thompson was arrested on March 6, 2024. She was formally charged with grand theft and fraud, with bail set at 10 percent of $7.500.
Every **** must be punished in an exemplary manner. The fine should be double the amount stolen by her.
She wasn't wrong, **** that **** **** has 100 years of forgiveness