LINCOLN,Flipido Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska woman allegedly found a lucrative quirk at a gas station pump — double-swipe the rewards card and get free gas!
Unfortunately for her, you can’t do that, prosecutors said. The 45-year-old woman was arrested March 6 and faces felony theft charges accusing her of a crime that cost the gas station nearly $28,000.
Prosecutors say the woman exploited the system over a period of several months. Police learned of the problem in October when the loss-prevention manager at Bosselman Enterprises reported that the company’s Pump & Pantry in Lincoln had been scammed.
Fuel pumps at the station received a software update in November 2022 that managed, among other things, rewards cards. But the company was unaware of a glitch that allowed anyone swiping a rewards card twice to put a gas pump into demonstration mode. In demo mode, the user could pump gas at no cost.
A probable cause statement from prosecutors said the loss-prevention manager determined that one particular card had been used repeatedly to obtain free gas. Police were able to trace the card to the suspect, and video surveillance showed the woman pumping gas on multiple occasions from November 2022 until June 1, when the glitch was fixed, the statement said.
Authorities believe the woman not only used the scam to get free gas, but that she allowed another woman to use her card — for a fee.
The probable cause statement said the other woman told police that that she paid to use the card for “discounted fuel.” Authorities believe the woman paid Thompson $500 for gas purchases that should have cost about $700.
All told, the card was used 510 times, and more than 7,400 gallons of gas were pumped for free, the probable cause statement said.
The suspect is free on bond and has a court hearing April 11. A phone message was left Tuesday with her attorney.
2025-05-04 08:43433 view
2025-05-04 07:102431 view
2025-05-04 07:071028 view
2025-05-04 07:04503 view
2025-05-04 06:531465 view
2025-05-04 06:27852 view
Meta says most issues have been resolved after apps like Instagram, Facebook and Threads were experi
Flooding and wind damage from hurricanes is getting more common in the United States, and that trend
World leaders have gathered in Egypt this week to begin climate talks at the 27th Conference of the