Double-swiping the rewards card led to free gas for months — and a felony theft charge

LINCOLN, Neb.– A Nebraska woman reportedly found a lucrative quirk at a gas station pump: swipe the rewards card twice and get free gas!

Unfortunately for her, you can’t do that, prosecutors said. The 45-year-old woman was arrested on March 6 and is charged with theft for 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 was ripped off.

Fuel pumps at the station received a software update in November 2022 that, among other things, managed savings cards. But the company was unaware of a glitch that allowed someone to swipe a rewards card twice to put a gas pump into demonstration mode. In demo mode, the user could pump gas for free.

A probable cause statement from the plaintiffs stated that the loss prevention manager determined that a particular card had been used repeatedly to obtain free gas. Police were able to trace the card back to the suspect, and video surveillance showed the woman pumping gas several times between November 2022 and June 1, when the malfunction was fixed, the statement said.

Authorities believe the woman not only used the scam to get free gas, but she let another woman use her card – for a fee.

The probable cause statement said the other woman told police she had 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 out for free, the probable cause statement said.

The suspect has been released on bail and has a court hearing on April 11. A telephone message was left with her lawyer on Tuesday.