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An individual from Nebraska has been taken into custody following the discovery of an exploitable loophole at a gas station pump that allowed her to acquire over $27,000 worth of complimentary fuel without making any payment. The security lapse was so rudimentary that it could have been identified by anyone, yet she seemingly pushed her luck too far.
1011 NOW disclosed that Dawn Thompson, a 45-year-old resident of Lincoln, Nebraska, is under suspicion for leveraging the flawed programming to pump (and sometimes resell) in excess of 7,400 gallons of gas. In November 2022, the pumps at a local station were updated with software that harbored a concealed test mode, enabling the dispensing of gas without the need for payment. The activation of this mode was as simple as swiping a loyalty card twice, which could have been how Thompson became aware of this feature. It is also plausible that she learned about it from the individual who had furnished her with the card to settle a debt—although said individual has since deceased and is no longer available for interrogation.
Authorities believe that Thompson exploited this functionality to receive gas without making payment on 510 separate instances between November 13, 2022, and June 1, 2023. On certain days, she purportedly swiped multiple times, while at other times, she allowed others to use her card. Eventually, it seems this excessive usage may have led to her capture.
Upon the rectification of the security vulnerability on June 1, Thompson decided to sell the card. However, law enforcement managed to locate one of her clients, who purportedly stated that she had been offered “discounted fuel” and paid $500 for gas that would have typically cost $700. Through a combination of repeated card usage, surveillance footage, and information provided by the station’s loss prevention manager, Thompson was eventually identified and apprehended on March 6. She has been charged with theft exceeding $5,000.
While it may be tempting to label Thompson as a criminal, it is plausible that she was led to believe the card possessed a substantial amount of gas credit on it. Regardless of her intentions, she would not have had the opportunity if the developers of the pump had not left such a glaring security flaw to begin with. A customer might swipe a loyalty card twice if they thought the initial swipe was unsuccessful or if they were not paying close attention. There was certainly a design oversight here, and the responsibility should fall on the gas station’s supplier for their negligence.
As for Thompson? Let’s give her a break. She demonstrates resourcefulness, so perhaps someone should provide her with a job opportunity. Who knows, maybe she could even tackle Boeing’s issues given the chance.
Have a tip or question for the author? Feel free to contact them at: james@thedrive.com
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