Transport company D’hooghe Lifting & Transport from Zele has filed a complaint with the police after it became a victim of fuel theft. Perhaps via skimming, thieves managed to copy the details of a fuel card.
The facts took place at a petrol station on the night of 13-14 August 2024, but only came to light when the company checked its invoices. “It concerns a fuel card normally used by a driver of ours who lives and operates in Limburg, but a total of 11 refuelling operations were carried out at a gas station in the Skaldenstraat in the port of Ghent. Good for 3,500 litres of fuel worth 6,000 euros,” said Geert D’hooghe, manager of the transport company specialising in exceptional transport.
Skimming
According to D’hooghe, this is probably a case of skimming in which the details of the fuel card were copied by the offender(s). “The petrol station concerned has camera images which will be handed over to the police. We hope the thieves can be caught this way,” Geert D’hooghe indicated. He considers himself lucky that limits were agreed with the supplier of the fuel cards. “That way we were able to prevent the perpetrators from stealing any more fuel.”
Agreeing limit
At transport federation Transport & Logistiek Vlaanderen (TLV), they point out that fuel theft is a phenomenon that is difficult to eradicate. “Diesel theft is unfortunately of all times and perpetrators use all possible techniques, including skimming,” says Lode Verkinderen, director of TLV. “Indeed, we advise hauliers to agree a limit with the supplier of their fuel cards. There are unfortunately known fraud cases where this was not the case. In addition, it is also technically possible to receive ‘alerts’ if an abnormally high amount is refuelled,” the TLV director continued.
“It is of course inadvisable to keep a note with your PIN code near your fuel card, but sometimes thieves also proceed in such a way that they copy data. There is little you can do about the latter, although it is certainly also always advisable as a driver to shield your hand when entering the PIN, because you never know where there are hidden cameras. A lot of transport companies also allow refuelling at the base. The ‘dormant’ fuel cards that are only used for emergencies pose an additional risk of fraud.”
Report
Just recently, international road haulier Girteka announced that it was scrapping its drivers’ fuel cards to replace them with a mobile app, partly because it would be safer. Verkinderen is not yet aware of any Flemish hauliers following suit. “No system is 100% foolproof, but in any case we continue to urge hauliers to report it so the police can deal with it.”
