With fuel prices being at all-time highs, fuel thieves are bound to be busy. We want you to be prepared to protect your site(s) against having fuel, and money from your pocket, stolen. 

Below is a recap of previously communicated types of fuel fraud on the rise and some tips from Phillips 66 to prevent your business from being a victim.  

FUEL DISPENSER PULSAR GEARS 

Pulsar gears are the gears that regulate the amount of fuel being dispensed, affecting the dollar and gallon amounts consumers see on dispenser windows. To commit this type of fraud, criminals force their way into the dispensers and modify the pulsar gear so the pump dispenses large amounts of fuel, while the gallon and price windows indicate only a fraction of the gallons being stolen. This fraud has been especially present at sites with high flow diesel dispensers.  

See the below tips for identifying and preventing this type of fuel theft: 

• Watch for drivers who come in and pay small amounts (usually cash) to activate the pump and then pump much longer than the dollar amount paid should allot.  
• Be aware of any drivers at the diesel pumps for periods of time longer than an average fill-up.  
• Watch for drivers wearing unusual amounts of facial gear like hats, sunglasses and masks in a way that hides their identity. 
• Upgrade the locks on your dispensers and consider placing locks on the bottom panels of the dispensers. 
• Use security labels on both the dispenser top doors and on the bottom panels. Inspect the security labels daily and pay attention to the number sequences to see if they do not match the sequences on the other labels. Criminals often do have and use counterfeit security labels which will not be in sync with your issued security labels.  
• Consider purchasing aftermarket security devices that help secure the pulsar gears. You can contact your pump maintenance companies for prices and installation. 

DRESSER WAYNE DISPENSERS 

Sites that have Dresser Wayne Ovation model dispensers need to make sure your dispensers have updated codes for the Maintenance/Standalone mode. Pump maintenance technicians use this original factory code to calibrate the dispensers during initial set up and follow-up maintenance. This code needs to be changed to your own unique code in order to protect access to your dispensers and treated like your own ATM PIN – kept close to you with very few having access.  

For this type of fraud, thieves use a remote control device to trigger the dispenser’s Maintenance/Standalone mode. From there, they can change the dollar amount per gallon, then activating the dispenser with a fraudulent credit card to steal fuel. Thieves can also access the dispenser by placing jumper cables onto the main circuit board, then utilizing a remote to key in a four-digit code to activate the dispenser.  

To help prevent this from happening, make sure you have changed the Maintenance/Stand-alone code from the original one that it came from the factory with.  

Fuel theft losses and subsequent chargebacks resulting from scamming activities are the responsibility of the retailer – meaning theft incidences at your site(s) is money out of your pocket and lost consumer trust. To help prevent this type of fraud, the best measure you can take is to ensure you have changed the Maintenance/Standalone code from the original and making sure no one else has access to this code. If you utilize these dispensers and have not updated your code, please contact your pump maintenance technician to change your codes as soon as possible.  

BLADDER TRUCKS 

Bladder trucks are trucks, vans and even SUV’s modified with auxiliary fuel tanks hidden either inside of the beds or inside of the passenger areas. The tanks are often covered by camper shells, tonneau tops, or commercial cabinets often seen on plumbing and electric commercial style trucks. The fuel thieves use credit cards with stolen account numbers. They activate the dispensers with these fraudulent cards and steal fuel, primarily diesel, often using numerous credit cards back-to-back to steal large amounts of fuel.  

Train your employees to be on the lookout for: 

• Trucks at the diesel pumps furthest away from the cashier/convenience store. 
• Drivers swiping multiple credit cards back-to-back.
• Drivers wearing large amounts of head gear such as hats, sunglasses and masks to conceal their identity. 
• Drivers placing the fuel nozzle into areas of a vehicle where fuel isn’t ordinarily stored. Bladder trucks often have additional fuel ports modified on them that lead back to the auxiliary fuel tanks. With vans recently being used as bladder trucks, they will often open the side sliding doors and bring the fuel nozzle right inside where the auxiliary tanks are to steal fuel.  
• Drivers using more than one dispenser at a time to fill their vehicles. 
• Trucks that are filling their vehicles for periods of time longer than an average fill-up. 

Remember that the best fraud prevention advice is to : 

1. Conduct daily dispenser inspections and keep a log. 
2. Upgrade the locks on your dispensers.  
3. Use security labels and pay attention to the issued number sequences that came with your box of labels. There are lots of counterfeit labels out there but as a general rule, they will not have the same number sequence on them. 

These unprecedented times require unprecedented security and prevention measures to keep your business and consumers safe. We never recommend confronting these criminals to keep you and your employees from harm, but encourage you to be aware of your surroundings and potential fraud activity. If something looks out of place, always question it and never feel shy about reaching out to the local police or the Phillips 66 Fraud Department at 888- 482-1838.

The Phillips 66 Fraud Department has posted additional resources on the above theft types on Bizlink. Please take time to review them and use You Asked, We Answered for any additional questions.