Beware NY! This Gas Scam Could Have You Filling Someone Else’s Tank!

We all know gas prices are uncomfortably high these days. I thought it was too much when prices went above $3 per gallon but that's me. $60, $75, $100 to fill your tank is outrageous! What if you pumped a bunch of money into your tank, started up the car and saw your meter on empty?

There is a gas scam going around that could play out just like that and you need to be aware!

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There is no official name for this gas scam so I will call it the "hose switch scam of 2022"! It's a bit confusing to follow at first but here is the premise.

Scammers pull up to a gas pump and switch hoses. They take theirs and place in on the other side. They take the hose from the other side and place it in their vehicle and wait. Once someone pulls up to the other side and run their card the scammer starts pumping.

To the good guy, it looks as if gas is going into his tank because the meter is running up. The problem is that the gas is being poured right into the bad guy's vehicle.! By the time the victim realizes what happened the scammer is long gone.

Some basic tips to be aware of regarding this scam:

• Take a quick look at the hoses at your pump. If they are crossed it may be a scam
• Pump just a few cents into your tank and stop. If the meter stops you are good.
• If you stop pumping and the meter continues to go, you are being scammed

Take a look at this video from ABC10 in Florida and see the scam played out.