Northlake police are revising a Facebook post warning residents about a potential “low-tech” scam at a local gas station.
The revision, made Tuesday afternoon, now says that social media reports contributed to the urgency of a report about a screw purposely placed into a pump at a local Sam’s Club that would have kept it from resetting after every transaction.
Multiple cars could be filled during a single transaction if motorists weren’t careful, the post said.
The department said the original post was designed to “keep people from being victimized and businesses from having their equipment damaged.” It urged businesses to check the pumps for any modifications.
After the post went up, Northlake Police were contacted by someone who works in the gas pump industry and advised that the post was inaccurate. Police Chief Ken Beres said he took the calls seriously and ordered his detectives to check into other such reports around the country.
“The screw can be used as a temporary fix when they are drilled into the gas pump while the nozzle flapper is in the lower position,” Beres said. “However, the screw can also be used to pin the nozzle flapper in the upper position which would keep the transaction open for the last person who used the pump…thus the cause for the potential scam. We began to dive into this matter and found both versions were correct.”
NBC 5 reached out to B&K Equipment in Lansing, one of the largest fueling equipment companies in Chicago, and asked them if such a scam was possible. Their simple answer was “no.”
“It is unlikely the screw would have any impact on the transaction,” a spokesperson said.
He said he hadn’t seen the post but attributed the presence of the screw to a “poor repair job.”
There have been numerous reports around the country of “pump switching” scams in which someone asks a driver if they want help filling their car or putting the pump handle away. After the driver leaves, the person then uses the still active pump to fill their car or those of their friends.
Northlake police said guidance in their original community alert stands. Chief Beres said there are ways to protect yourself at the pump during any kind of transaction.
First: Make sure you put that nozzle away and you hear the click when it goes into the receptacle.
Second: Check the pump for credit card skimmers or anything that looks suspicious before inserting your card into the machine.
Third: Print your receipt. That way you know when the transaction is over and how much you are paying.
Finally, if someone asks to help you put that nozzle away, politely turn them down. That is the way pump switching scams often start.
If you find anything suspicious, Beres said, bring it to the attention of the gas station attendant.
