--- title: "Woman Discovers Trick to Get $27,000 in Free Gas" description: "A Nebraskan scammer found a gas pump software glitch that allowed her to get tens of thousands of dollars worth of free gas." date: "2024-03-09" modified: "2024-03-09" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/free-gas-glitch" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "fuel" - "gas" - "scams" - "the digest" --- # Woman Discovers Trick to Get $27,000 in Free Gas ![A Nebraskan scammer found a gas pump software glitch that allowed her to get tens of thousands of dollars worth of free gas.]() *\Image: Lourdes Balduque/Getty Images\* ## Gas Her Up A Nebraskan scammer found a gas pump software glitch that allowed her to get tens of thousands of dollars worth of free gas — until the owners caught onto her, that is. As Lincoln's [*1011 Now* local broadcaster reports](), a 45-year-old woman has been charged with one count of theft after discovering a vulnerability in the gas machines at a shop called "Pump and Pantry." Upon further investigation, the cops figured out the root of the woman's scheme: an update to the pumps' rewards management software in November 2022, allegedly made at the request of customers and staff alike. Due to a glitch in the unnamed software, a double swipe of the rewards card would enter pumps into "demo mode," thus allowing them to dispense gas without charge. One rewards card — the one belonging to the 45-year-old woman — had been used repeatedly to get free gas, and by tracing its information, the station's parent company, Bosselman Enterprise, was able to pinpoint her identity. ## Adds Up Though they're not entirely sure, Lincoln police told the local news station that they believe the woman used her rewards card to get free gas a total of 510 times between November 2022 and June 2023. Ultimately, it's believed that the woman pumped over 7,000 gallons worth of free fuel to the tune of more than $27,000. Beyond just getting free gas for herself, the woman appears to have profited off the scheme as well. As another person pinpointed as a recipient of glitchy gas told the cops, the woman let at least one other person use the card to get "discounted gas" on 10 occasions, charging a total of $500 for $700 worth of gas. That same person also told police that the woman sold the card to someone on June 1, 2023 — the same day the software glitch was fixed, the report notes. A mix of small-town swindling meets dumb software, the tale of the Nebraska gas scammer really has it all — including that the woman allegedly sold the card to someone to pay off a car debt, and that police could not contact the man during their months-long investigation of the fuel theft because the man is now dead. **More on glitches:** [*Microsoft's Copilot AI Gladly Generates Anti-Semitic Stereotypes*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()