Aug 12, 2008 7:27 pm US/Eastern
Scammers Rip-Off MTA For $800K In Free Rides
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
There's been another financial hit for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, this time from suspected criminals trying to escape the sagging economy. The loss of nearly $1 million came via a debit card scam allowing for the ultimate free ride after the ultimate exploitation.
Three friends who took advantage of a software glitch in an MTA ticket machine got free tickets over three years, racking up rides worth $800,000. They even sold tickets to friends.
Arrested were Cary Grant, 40, and Lisa Foster Jordan, 37, a married couple from Roosevelt, along with Christopher Clemente, 37, from Manhattan. All three were charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.
So how did this rampant cheating happen? The MTA told CBS 2:
"If you were using an ATM card to buy tickets, but didn't have enough money to pay for it, and the card was from a small bank the machine didn't recognize, the machine didn't understand the insufficient funds message and gave out a ticket anyway."
The MTA says the chances of stumbling upon this software glitch are "astronomical," but they say the problem has been fixed.
A WCBSTV.com unscientific poll asking people what they would do if they discovered the glitch found about 70 percent of the participants would take advantage of the problem.
The scam was discovered during a routine audit which led to the arrests. On Tuesday, there was no answer at the homes of the accused, but they'll soon be answering in a court of law.
The MTA says it will seek full restitution of any money they made selling tickets.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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