B’luru, beware of a petrol pump 'scam'

Bengaluru driver's alertness foils alleged petrol pump 'short fuelling' scam; focuses on need to stay vigilant.

Bengaluru: A concerning scam has recently come to light in Bengaluru, where several citizens have reported being duped at petrol pumps by staff members using distraction tactics and fuel dispenser manipulation. The scam allegedly involves ‘short fueling’, where customers pay for a specific amount of fuel but receive significantly less.

A long time resident shared her recent experience to raise awareness and help others avoid falling victim to the same trick. "I asked the staff to fill fuel worth Rs.300. He verbally repeated the amount, nod- ded, and proceeded to fill. But he stopped after dispensing only Rs.100 worth of fuel,” she recalled. “As he tried to remove the nozzle, I reminded him that I had asked for Rs.300 at the start."

She believes she narrowly avoided being scammed thanks to a prior warning from a friend.

According to her, the attendant then pretended to reset the machine but instead input another Rs.100, bringing the total to only Rs.200. He attempted to allegedly distract her by pointing to the QR code scanner, despite her holding a card ready for payment. In total, only Rs.200 worth of fuel was dispensed. When confronted, the staff insisted he had filled Rs.300. She challenged him, saying, “I saw you didn’t reset the meter to zero, you started again from Rs.100.”

Caught off guard, the attendant backtracked, claiming, “Madam, you told me to fill only Rs.200", and then reluctantly added the remaining Rs.100 worth of fuel. The citizen expressed her frustration, shocked that such scams could occur even at trusted petrol pumps.

She now urges others to stay alert while fueling, “Always watch the dispenser, make sure it resets to zero before fueling, and don’t get distracted during the process".