Fuel Price Increase : Fraudsters Devise New Tricks To Defraud Filling Stations In Enugu

Some fuel attendants at Iwollo, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Friday, have narrated the latest methods adopted by fraudsters to dupe filling stations.

According to them, some middle-aged men now drive in posh cars and demand their fuel tanks be filled up at filling stations, and then zoom off after distracting the attendants.

A victim, who identified himself as Charles, selling fuel at Afor Oghe, along Iwollo road, told our correspondent that, “They drove in a black tinted Lexus to our station yesterday. There were about four young men in the jeep. And they looked well dressed, and spoke good English. They asked me to fill their tanks. It amounted to N12, 000.00. They remained inside the vehicle except the driver who stepped out to buy bottle water. When he returned, he demanded to use POS to make the payment. I told him that we do not have such services. He told me to go and call the manager. One of them stepped down to buy water too, while the driver was by his door. Before I returned with the manager, they had gone. I was told they drove towards 9th Mile.”

Another victim was an eighteen year-old female attendant at another filling station at 9th Mile.

She said, “They came in a jeep, carrying some jerry cans; about seven of them. They asked me to fill them with gas. The gallons were being filled in the boot of the jeep. When I filled all of them, they asked me to check the amount because I wiped out the prices three times. This is because they contemplated whether to fill all the gallons or not. I only wrote the amounts on a paper. I guess one of them took away my calculator because I never failed to carry it except that moment. So, when I went to bring another one from our office, they drove off. My colleagues said they greeted them before leaving, making it impossible for anybody to suspect them. Till today, we didn’t see them again. They drove along Obollo-Makurdi road.”

The Enugu State police public relations officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, could not be reached before filing the report. But a policeman who does not want his name mentioned advised the general public to be vigilant in the face of new trends in crimes in the country.

He said, “It is all about sensitisation. Avoid anything that would distract you after serving motorists unless you have collected your money. It is more of tricks than real crimes. CCTV can also be of help in some of these places to help in fishing out the perpetrators.”