Preventing Fuel Card Fraud

Introduction

Technology has made it much easier for road users to travel and transact along their journeys. It is no longer necessary to travel with substantial amounts of cash to fill up along the route. Petrol and garage cards enable travellers to have more peace of mind that they would be able to fund any foreseen and unforeseen expenses on the road.

Unfortunately, criminals are never far behind in planning how to defraud travellers. Our road users must protect themselves from concepts such as card fraud, card skimming, cloning, cybercrime and PIN theft.

It is not only individual drivers who are at risk but also our corporate fleets and those with fleet cards.

But what are these threats/ crimes and how can road users protect themselves from falling victim to these criminals? We decided to send a Q&A to some of the prominent banking institutions and request some suggestions for increased safety

Safety Advice via Absa

When using a Point of Sale device, we encourage card users to key in their PIN in such a way that no one else can see it – such as covering the keypad with their free hand when punching the numbers in.

When using a garage/fleet card for fuel purchases, remember the following safety tips:

Treat your credit card like cash by just carrying the cards you need and never leaving your cards unattended.
Destroy expired fuel/fleet cards by cutting them up.
Sign new cards, with a ballpoint pen, immediately upon receipt.
Report lost or stolen cards immediately.
Do not use your birth date or birth year as a PIN number, as criminals may have access to this information after stealing your bag or wallet.
Do not save your PIN number on your cell phone.
Be careful when giving your personal and credit card information to third parties.
When giving your card to a merchant to swipe, check the details on the card to ensure that they have given back the correct card.
When using a debit or credit card at any point of sale outlet or restaurant, never allow your card to leave your sight.

Fuel, Garage and Fleet Cards and Safety from Fraud and Corruption

[Click for Safety Advice from Absa]

[Click for Safety Advice from Standard Bank]

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