A woman who exploited a glitch in a Nebraska gas station pump to the tune of over $27,000 has been charged with one count of theft.
Dawn Thompson, 45, is accused of exploiting a software update at the station’s pumps that inadvertently allowed rewards card users to enter the pump into demo mode and pump gas for free, according police report obtained by to KOLN-TV.
The gas station’s loss prevention manager discovered that Thompson’s card had been used 510 times between November 13, 2022 and June 1, 2023.
It’s estimated that over 7,413.59 gallons of gasoline were pumped using the card over that time. The manager estimates the average cost of gas between those months was about $3.758 per gallon, bringing total losses to $27,860.27.
Thompson allegedly increased her profits by loaning the card to another person for a fee, allowing her to get “discounted fuel.”
She is also accused of then selling the card to a now-deceased man in 2023, soon after the glitch was fixed.
Thompson was arrested on March 6 and held on $7,500 bond. Her next court hearing is set for April 11.