Watch Your Pump's Nozzle: Don't Fall For This Pricey Gas Station Scam

Holidays movies may tell us that love is everywhere, but sometimes it can feel like scammers are all around us. From impostors pretending to be our banks to phishing scams filling our inboxes, it feels like we always have to be on our guard. You probably already know that we're not even safe at the gas pump, where skimmers can try to steal our credit or debit card information. But there's another type of scam that may take you by surprise, and you may not even be aware that you've been conned.

Police in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia, warned residents to be on guard after reports of pump-switching at local gas stations. What is pump switching? Imagine you pull up to the pump, ready to fill your tank and move on. You swipe your credit or debit card through the card reader, but then you're approached by an aggressive scammer who offers to pump gas for you. You may try to say no, but they don't accept your response and keep bothering you. Feeling frustrated and potentially unsafe, you leave — but you don't return the nozzle to the gas pump.

Instead, the scammer is left with your active transaction. If you're lucky, they'll simply fill up their own vehicle on your dime, but that's often not the case. Instead, the scammer will offer to pump gas for other drivers in exchange for cash. They collect the cash, and the other drivers also fill up using your transaction. Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself.

This scam can potentially cost victims hundreds of dollars, and they may not even know until they check their bank or credit card statements. To protect yourself, always stay alert when pumping gas and avoid interacting with anyone other than employees. If someone asks for your assistance, don't feel like you have to help if you feel unsafe.

If someone approaches you and won't take no for an answer, return the nozzle to the gas pump and try to get a receipt before getting into your vehicle and locking the door. If someone confronts you or makes you feel uncomfortable, or you weren't able to return the nozzle and left your transaction open, find a safe area to park and call the police. You should also alert your bank or credit card company immediately, especially if you know that someone continued to pump gas using your card.

In addition to skimming, when an illegal card skimmer is attached to the payment system on gas pumps, fraudsters have also been known to install hidden cameras that try to catch your PIN number. Contactless pay is meant to be more secure than using a card, but look for a hole drilled in the payment screen. The damage may force the system to default to swipe payments, making you put away your phone and pull out your card, exposing your information to a skimming device. If you spot anything suspicious, don't swipe or tap your card. Instead, alert an employee and move on to another pump or gas station.