Fraud at filling stations

06th September 2007

A crackdwn on crooked petrol station staff looks set to mark the end of forecourt chip-and-pin scams, which have wiped millions of pounds off British motorists’ plastic.

Police say the constant stream of temporary cashiers at filling stations makes the industry an easy target for credit card fraud.

However, the Petrol Retailers’ Association (PRA) is currently trialling a new vetting system, which it believes will make it harder for fraudulent pump attendants to obtain work.

The skimming scam is typically carried out by foreign nationals working as cashiers under a false name, according to economic crime specialist Paul Welton of Humberside Police. He explained: “They stay for around six weeks, during which time they fit a special device to the chip-and-pin machine, which reads and copies all the credit card data. A camera is then secretly positioned to capture images of motorists as they enter their PIN numbers into the devices.” The recorded details are then used to create duplicate cards overseas.

PRA chief Ray Holloway is determined to stamp out the problem. “There’s no register for temporary or permanent forecourt staff at the moment. But we’re working with the British Oil Security Syndicate to change that,” he said.

“We’re looking at ways of putting the details of trusted employees and interviewed candidates all together on a database, which can then be shared among the garage owners.”