Man Caught Switching Gas Pump Nozzles With Another Customer Who Actually Paid
As if there wasn't enough pain at the pump, here is another scam that you have to be aware of when filling up at gas stations.
Imagine pulling up to fill up your vehicle and as you're filling up your car, someone else is actually on the other side of the pump and using your card to top off their tank.
A shocking video that is going viral shows a man who was caught on camera swapping pump nozzles at a gas station in California. He waits until someone else rolls up to get gas, and as soon as their payment is authorized, he actually has their pump nozzle and fills up his tank on the other person's dime.
This scam isn't new, but police are seeing an uptick as gas prices have recently soared.
They, on the other side of the island, are actually using your nozzle to steal gas. We’ve seen a few cases historically where this has worked and we have been able to fortunately catch people
Roseville police pointed back to 2019 when they arrested a man for pulling the same scam "at least a dozen times."
The best way to avoid getting hosed is by double-checking to make sure the proper hose is connected to the pump you have paid to use.
Park in well-lit areas, and when it comes to the gas pump swapping scheme, keep in mind your hose nozzle will always be on the same side as the holster and the hose will never cross over the pump.
Luckily, gas prices have begun to drop and experts say we could see prices continue to fall "35-50 cents in the weeks ahead."
But the sad truth is that scammers will always take advantage of people and situations that make them vulnerable.
See more on this here via ABC10.