+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

A woman used a rewards card software glitch to steal $27,000 of gas over 6 months, report says

Mar 12, 2024, 22:15 IST
Insider
A stock photo shows a woman pumping gas.RunPhoto/Getty Images
  • A Nebraska woman exploited a software glitch to steal over $27,000 worth of gas, police say.
  • She stole an estimated 7,413 gallons of gasoline over a period of six months, per KOLN.
Advertisement

A Nebraska woman used a rewards card software glitch to steal more than $27,000 worth of gas, police said.

The KOLN local news outlet in Lincoln, Nebraska, was the first to report that Dawn Thompson, 45, was charged with one count of theft by unlawful taking relating to the exploitation of the glitch.

Thompson was arrested on March 6 following an investigation, Lincoln Police Department told Business Insider by email.

Police said Thompson used a glitch to pump free gas for over six months, during which time an estimated 7,413 gallons of gasoline were pumped for free.

KOLN reported that the average fuel cost between November 2022 and June 2023 was about $3.758 per gallon, equating to a total stolen value of $27,860.

Advertisement

According to KOLN, the glitch resulted from a software update to the fuel pumps at Pump and Pantry in November 2022.

KOLN said the software error allowed anyone who swiped a rewards card twice to place the pump into demo mode, allowing them to pump gas for free.

According to KOLN, a loss prevention manager for Bosselman Enterprise, which owns the gas station, discovered that one card had been used repeatedly to get free gas.

The card's information was traced back to Thompson, who was also captured on video surveillance pumping fuel into her car on several occasions, KOLN reported.

Police noted that the rewards card was used over 500 times and, on some occasions, fuel was stolen several times in a single day.

Advertisement

Another woman also used the card and claimed that Thompson had allowed her to use it to get "discounted" fuel, according to KOLN.

The local news outlet said the glitch was fixed last June.

Thompson's arrest followed an investigation spanning several months, which began on October 20 last year, Lincoln Police Department said.

At the time of reporting, Thompson was not listed on the Lancaster County Department of Corrections's inmate roster.

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article