If over six months of free gas sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Dawn Thompson, 45, has been charged with one count of theft by unlawful taking of over $5,000 by allegedly participating in a fuel scam that allowed her to pump over $27,000 of gas for no charge, ABC8 KLKN News reported. Fuel pumps at Pump and Pantry in Lincoln, Nebraska, received a software update in November 2022 that left the machines vulnerable to theft by rewards card holders, according to 10/11 News.
A gas station in Lincoln has fixed a glitch that allowed someone to pump thousands of gallons of fuel for free. https://t.co/DC2vbzbljv #LNK
— 10/11 News (@1011_News) March 8, 2024
Police investigation revealed that all customers had to do was swipe their rewards card twice to implement a “demo mode” on the pump, allowing them to receive all the free gas they wanted, according to ABC8. (RELATED: On The Labor Day Commute Home? Be Careful Where You Fill Up, Warns Secret Service)
Thompson’s alleged repeated use of her card stood out to loss prevention managers at Bosselman Enterprise, according to ABC8. Police quickly tracked Thompson and verified her alleged frequent thefts on surveillance footage, according to the outlet.
Between approximately Nov. 13, 2022, and June 1, 2023, Lincoln police found Thompson’s rewards card was allegedly used 510 times, often multiple times a day, The Sun reports. Thompson allegedly shared her reward card with another woman, charging her approximately $500 for $700 worth of “free” gas, according to ABC8.
Thompson was arrested on March 6 and arraigned on March 7, ending an investigation that began October 2023, according to 10/11 News. A phone message was left Tuesday with her attorney, The Associated Press reported.