Gas pump manipulators steal millions of dollars in fuel | Hacker News Reader

Gas pump manipulators steal millions of dollars in fuel

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20 pointsO__________O6 comments

I don't understand how tampering with a gas station pump like this can currently be legal. It's not much different from exchanging price stickers in a store; it's pure theft.

Tampering is not legal, but simply owning the device is legal. Law enforcement wants to bring charges when they find the device in a search, not wait to catch the thieves when they are pumping the fuel.

That's how I interpret it too, it feels like they're intentionally avoiding saying it is illegal to be able to push for making the device itself illegal.

https://mcspetroleum.com/security/

I see pumps where the security seal is broken or the door isn’t fitting all the way quite often. AFAICT Pilot/Flying J give zero shits about their pumps as long as the majority of the fuel doesn’t end up on the ground. Don’t even get me started on the DEF pumps…

Now I’m wondering how much of that is from people messing with them to get free fuel?

Since I don’t pay for the fuel I have reverse incentives. I make enough off the bonus points to support my coffee habit plus some snacks on the side so I want them to be accurate.

> I see pumps where the security seal is broken or the door isn’t fitting all the way quite often.

I'm always wary of these and find another pump/(or even station).

> Now I’m wondering how much of that is from people messing with them to get free fuel?

For a long time, the purpose of those seals, was to show that the state certified more or less 'the pump as configured is actually pumping one gallon when it says it is'.

Over the last decade, it has also become a warning that a skimming device has been inserted somewhere. (Of course, more recently, skimmers don't even -need- to do that...)

But in both cases, those were hazards more for the consumer than the operator, thus the lack of care given.

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