MOTORISTS failing to pay for fuel is on the rise at forecourts, according to British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS).
The forecourt security firm found that incidents of unpaid fuel increased by 22% in the first week of June 2022, when compared to May.
Claire Nichol, executive director of BOSS, said: “We have received a 22% increase in reports of motorists not paying for fuel during the first full week of June.
“Reported incidents have been rising steadily by around 5% each month, but this month there has been a noticeable increase.”
Nichol added that BOSS has seen a shift in behaviour when it comes to non-payment and she also put the blame for the rise squarely on rising fuel prices.
“Motorists claiming to have no means of payment account for 70% of incidents which re-emphasises a shift away from drive-off incidents.
“Average fuel prices have risen by 19% since January 2022 and there is no doubt that there is a link between rising fuel prices and increased incidents of forecourt fuel crime,” she said.
BOSS collates reports of ‘no means of payment’ and drive-off incidents from information supplied to BOSS Payment Watch, the firm’s forecourt fuel loss recovery service.
