Two men from Norfolk, Virginia hacked into a Virginia Beach gas station and sold gas for much cheaper than the listed price. The gas station is located on North Great Neck Road, close to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront and near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The story sounds sort of confusing when it is told without full context. One may think that the Norfolk men physically stole barrels of gas from the gas station to sell it, but that’s not necessarily true.
After the gas station in question was hacked, the men used an app on their cell phones for “customers” to pay for their gas at cheaper prices. People physically drove their cars up to the gas station, paid for the gas on the app, and they would fill up until they reached their payment limit. This process happened for days until it was noticed and then stopped. The reason why it was able to go on for so long is that the gas station actually closed at a certain point. There were no attendants or owners at the gas station when the two men would run their operation.
Although the two men who orchestrated the hack have been arrested, commenters on social media call for their immediate release. Some have even referred to them as “heroes”. It is hard label this story as anything other than a modern-day “Robin Hood” tale. Robin Hood was a fictional character who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Clearly, the details of this story don’t line up to Robin Hood in a one-to-one sense, but the sentiment is nearly the same. Gas prices have gone up to an average of $5 per gallon. This price is simply unaffordable to many. Filling up a car at half of the current price was probably a God-send to countless people.
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