Couple Exploits Broken Transit Ticket Machine for $800k

Posted by: Tim Halbur

13 August 2008 - 5:00am

In the wake of a recent scandal with MIT students hacking the subway comes a story of a Long Island couple who stumbled into a glitch in a ticket machine and exploited it for $800,000 in free tickets.

"MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin said the glitch was exposed when Jordan, using a legitimate debit card from a small California-based bank, First Republic, found it gave her a free ticket.

Soffin said the account linked to the card had insufficient funds and although the bank sent a warning, it was not recognized by the machine, which in turn dispensed a ticket.

'It was sort of a freak incident,' he said. 'That someone looking to steal from the MTA happened to stumble on this is extremely obscure.'"

Full Story: LI couple charged in looting of MTA ticket machine

Source: Newsday, August 12, 2008