Thereýs a new fuel scam out there, gang. Actually, an old one revisited ý itýs the old divert-and-pump game.
A reader called the other day to report an incident that happened at an Ontario truckstop. He had begun fueling using the satellite pump on the right side of the truck, and was around on the left side getting ready to put that nozzle in the tank when this really chatty driver strolled up to him and struck up a conversation.
What he didnýt realize was that another driver had taken the nozzle out of the right tank, put it into his tank, and was pumping away.
My friend says when he tried to make his way around to the right side to check the nozzle ý diligent guy that he is ý the chatty driver started asking questions in what seemed to be an attempt to prolong the conversation. Actually, he was trying to prevent my friend from going around the truck. He succeeded to a point. The villains had pumped 75-100 litres before the scam was uncovered.
This kind of scam is nothing new, and it should be surprising that weýre seeing it again, given the pump prices. So, beware of suspicious activity around the fuel pumps, and donýt leave a nozzle unattended.
Jim Park
