Computer Glitch Allows Drivers To Gas Up For Free

[lancestorm]

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- A computer glitch let dozens of drivers gas up without paying at a chain of gas stations in the Midwest.

Motorists discovered they could swipe their drivers' licenses instead of credit cards.

It's cost the Meijer chain thousands of dollars. The scam went on for three weeks. Some people filled up as many as 15 times.

Store officials finally figured it out and contacted police in Pittsfield Township, Mich.

Authorities have been tracking down the offenders through computer records, which kept the numbers of all cards swiped on file. Two people have been charged with misdemeanor retail fraud.

Meijer has 158 stores in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio

Edit: Someone wanted a link...

Linkage

 

[PricklyPete]

Is there a link to this?

 

[lancestorm]

Yes there is a link. See OP above...

 

[Armitage]

Lol
I remember hearing about something similar at an ATM that dispensed various denominations. Somebody loaded the $20 bills into the $10 bill slot, and people thought they were getting free money ... up until the bank figured it out and adjusted their next statement. Then they got to suck up all the fees they ran up withdrawing $10 at a time.

TANSTASFL

 

[Zenmervolt]

The people in MI will lose their licenses. Not sure about Ohio, but I know in MI they can revoke your driver's license for this sort of thing, there's a sticker about it plastered on just about ever gas pump.

ZV

 

[MercenaryForHire]

It wasn't a glitch, they were beta testing the new payment method.

- M4H

 

[slag]

I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

 

[GasX]

The world is really filled with honest forthright people these days... :disgust:

 

[Confused]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
It wasn't a glitch, it was a feature.

- Microsoft Development Team

Fixed :beer:

 

[lancestorm]

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

And how is what they were doing NOT stealing?

 

[lancestorm]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
The people in MI will lose their licenses. Not sure about Ohio, but I know in MI they can revoke your driver's license for this sort of thing, there's a sticker about it plastered on just about ever gas pump.

ZV

Ohio has the same stickers...

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

The first time you accidently swipe your drivers license instead of your credit card, and find out that it accepts it, may not be fraud. (although dishonest for not reporting it). The next 11 times it is.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: lancestorm

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
The people in MI will lose their licenses. Not sure about Ohio, but I know in MI they can revoke your driver's license for this sort of thing, there's a sticker about it plastered on just about ever gas pump.

ZV

Ohio has the same stickers...

Shows how much I'm paying attention to my surroundings when I'm fueling at the gas station at home. Haha. I've only ever noticed them out of state in MI and PA.

ZV

 

[Ogg]

"Sure Ill just swipe my drivers license to steal some gas. Theyll never be able to catch me!!!!:evil:"

:roll:


Love to see whos on the list of people that did it.............

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: lancestorm

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

And how is what they were doing NOT stealing?

I disagree, it is fraud. They did not pay, they were expected to, they fooled the machine into believing they did pay when in acutality they did not, that is fraud.

Just becuase you can steal without somebody noticing doesn't make it NOT theft.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: ergeorge

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

The first time you accidently swipe your drivers license instead of your credit card, and find out that it accepts it, may not be fraud. (although dishonest for not reporting it). The next 11 times it is.

1) How would you know if you did it accidentally & it worked?
2) Who would you report it to?

What I don't understand is how a CC reader is reading driver's licenses - Do they use magnetic strips in that state? If so, how was it receiving authorization?

Viper GTS

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

I would agree except that you never had to use a Drivers license as a payment method. The people knew that the license was not a CC or any form of payment. They used it as a CC when there was no way to pay for it. That is fraud. They deserve any punishment they get.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Confused

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
It wasn't a glitch, it was a feature.

- Microsoft Development Team

Fixed :beer:

I was taking a potshot at the forum software migration here, but that works too.

Oh, and we refer to them as "Undocumented Functionality" here

- M4H

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: ergeorge
The first time you accidently swipe your drivers license instead of your credit card, and find out that it accepts it, may not be fraud. (although dishonest for not reporting it). The next 11 times it is.

Judge asks: "Why would you swipe your license to pay for gas"
Response: "My friend said I could"

 

[SoylentGreen]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

I would agree except that you never had to use a Drivers license as a payment method. The people knew that the license was not a CC or any form of payment. They used it as a CC when there was no way to pay for it. That is fraud. They deserve any punishment they get.

Any punishment?

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: ergeorge

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

The first time you accidently swipe your drivers license instead of your credit card, and find out that it accepts it, may not be fraud. (although dishonest for not reporting it). The next 11 times it is.

1) How would you know if you did it accidentally & it worked?

You pull a card out of your wallet and swipe it. As you put it back, you notice it's your DL but the pump authorized anyway. Of course you might not notice that you had used your DL by mistake, but I can't see that mistake happening 12 times in a row by chance.

2) Who would you report it to?

You push that little assistance button next to the pump and say "Yo, cash register dude. I swiped my drivers license by accident, and the pump authorized anyway!"

What I don't understand is how a CC reader is reading driver's licenses - Do they use magnetic strips in that state? If so, how was it receiving authorization?

Viper GTS

I might consider checking to see if any of the people caught were involved in building those systems :shocked:
Of course, it'd be pretty stupid to go to all that trouble, and let the machine retain the DL data so you could be tracked down.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Kiyup

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

I would agree except that you never had to use a Drivers license as a payment method. The people knew that the license was not a CC or any form of payment. They used it as a CC when there was no way to pay for it. That is fraud. They deserve any punishment they get.

Any punishment?

yes any punishment the law requires for such an offense. is that really hard to understand?

 

[SoylentGreen]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Kiyup

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

I would agree except that you never had to use a Drivers license as a payment method. The people knew that the license was not a CC or any form of payment. They used it as a CC when there was no way to pay for it. That is fraud. They deserve any punishment they get.

Any punishment?

yes any punishment the law requires for such an offense. is that really hard to understand?

You said any punishment they get you jackass.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Kiyup

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Kiyup

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: slag
I don't see how this could be fraud. The chain made a mistake and needs to own up to their mistake.

Why the heck this wasn't tested first in a controlled environment is beyond me.

I would agree except that you never had to use a Drivers license as a payment method. The people knew that the license was not a CC or any form of payment. They used it as a CC when there was no way to pay for it. That is fraud. They deserve any punishment they get.

Any punishment?

yes any punishment the law requires for such an offense. is that really hard to understand?

You said any punishment they get you jackass.

well i guess other places do punish them. im sure the gas station has its own court the people have to go to.

oh and the DMV might make them stand in line an extra hour or two.

Oh wait maybe the courts will be the only one to punish them!

 

[Chadder007]

Hmmm....i wonder if my work badge would work.... ?