WCBSTV Reports: 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.

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.

The scam was discovered during a routine audit which led to the arrests. The MTA says it will seek full restitution of any money they made selling tickets.