Fuel theft at filling stations becoming a trend

Rising petrol prices and the associated increase in motoring costs are driving some people to criminal acts. Why not fill up and then take off without paying? Thats exactly what was happening in the Bielefeld /Ibbenbüren area in Germany. It took many months of intensive research before local criminal investigators got wise to the antics of a 49-year-old fuel fraudster. He had a habit of fleeing without paying after filling up his car with fuel. Before each of his raids, he fitted a false number plate to his white Mercedes A-Class. This ensured that his identity remained a mystery to the police for some time. However, they kept up the hunt. A query at the Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg shed some light on the matter, and when an employee at one of the filling stations recalled an extremely eye-catching mud flap fitted to the Mercedes in question, the offender was quickly apprehended. There werent that many white Mercedes in the vicinity of the targeted filling stations and fewer still sporting large mud flaps. During a search of a suspects home, they also uncovered stolen number plates and even the clothing worn by the crook during his refuelling stops.

This type of filling station theft has long since become more widespread, and the police do not expect to see any fall in this type of criminal activity in the near future. Quite the contrary, the continually rising energy prices will put a strain on many wallets, and nobody wants to sacrifice their car, which remains the easiest means of getting from A to B.

In spite of this, filling station operators can put in place permanent protection against this kind of wrongdoing with the HecStar public autofuel terminal by Hectronic. This device puts a stop to fuel fraudsters once and for all. Petrol will only flow down the hose after the customer has entered an EC credit card, fleet card or cash into the terminal. Hecstar can also be fitted with an optional Mifare reader. It also works tirelessly 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More detailed information about our public autofuel terminals, which can be used internationally, can be found here on our website.