LINCOLN, Neb. (NEWSnet/AP) — A Nebraska woman allegedly found a lucrative quirk at a gas station pump: Double-swipe the rewards card and get free gas.

Unfortunately, that isn’t allowed, prosecutors said. The 45-year-old woman was arrested March 6 and faces felony theft charges accusing her of 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 situation in October, when the loss-prevention manager at Bosselman Enterprises reported the company’s Pump & Pantry in Lincoln had been scammed.

Fuel pumps at the station received a software update in November 2022 that managed, among other things, rewards cards. But the company was unaware of a glitch that allowed anyone swiping a rewards card twice to put a gas pump into demonstration mode. In that mode, the user could pump gas at no cost.

The card was used 510 times, and more than 7,400 gallons of gas were pumped for free, according to the probable-cause statement.

Authorities believe the woman allowed another person to use her card, for a fee.

The suspect is free on bond and has a court hearing April 11.

Follow NEWSnet on Facebook and X platform to get our headlines in your social feeds.

Copyright 2024 NEWSnet and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.