- Police in Virginia are warning drivers about a potential new scam.
- They claimed people are tampering with fuel pumps to get free gas.
- Snopes calls it a “hoax,” but the town said there was an “incident.”
Police in Timberville, Virginia are warning motorists about a potential scam involving fuel pumps that have been tampered with. This has drawn a lot of attention as the national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $4.13.
In a Facebook post, the department said people have been “placing a screw or other object in the fuel pump handle cradle, preventing the pump from properly shutting off after a transaction.” This means the pump might not close out a sale after you’re done filling up. If that happens, the pump would remain active and following vehicles could fill up on your dime.
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Authorities went on to say, “No matter where you choose to fuel your vehicle, please inspect the pump before and after use. If you notice anything unusual or suspect that a pump has been tampered with, do not use it and notify the station attendant immediately.”
They went on to tell residents to ensure the pump reads “$0.00” before refueling and ensure the transaction is finished before leaving. They also posted an image showing a screw located near the flap, which resides behind the refueling nozzle.
Town of Timberville
Some people have claimed the supposed scam is bogus and Snopes dubbed it a “hoax” in May. At the time, they said “The people and organizations promoting the unsubstantiated warning failed to cite any credible, verified reports of criminals using screws to defraud consumers at gas pumps.”
Furthermore, a Shell spokesperson told them they weren’t aware of any incidents and their fuel pumps have an automatic shut-off feature, which ends a transaction after a certain amount of inactivity.
Despite this, the Town of Timberville claimed “there was an incident” and an apparent screw was found by a gas station attendant while inspecting the pumps. However, they haven’t received a report that someone’s credit card was used to fill other vehicles. They also said, “We wanted to make everyone aware that this is circulating and has been seen on social media.”
Of course, seeing something online doesn’t make it true and some people have suggested the screw might have been added as part of a repair. Regardless, just use common sense and ensure your transaction is complete before you drive off.
