Urgent BP fuel card scam warning issued as drivers targeted on Facebook

Published date29 June 2022
According to consumer watchdog Which?, the scam involves criminals impersonating the fuel giant. A fake advertisement claims that you could receive as much as 200 litres of fuel for just £1.78

With people across Scotland and the UK struggling to pay bills amid the worsening cost of living crisis, many are desperately looking for ways to save money. Because of this, it is easy to fall for these types of scams.

READ MORE — UK's favourite supermarket beats out discount rivals Lidl and Aldi to top spot

The advert in question states that readers can receive "discounts on 200 fuel litre cards", and appears as a 'sponsored post' on Facebook. The image featured in the advert is of a busy BP petrol station with a hand holding a BP fuel card.

According to the ad: "BP is leaving Russia and redirecting leftover fuel to the UK, giving you the chance to get a 200 litre fuel card for just £1.78." It claims that those who click on the accompanying can receive a 200-litre fuel card for the suspiciously low price by filling out a survey.

This survey is in fact a trick to lure victims into giving out personal information that can be used by the scammers for nefarious reasons.

A similar scam features the same image of a BP petrol station, but reads: "Due to the current rise in fuel prices, BP is running a promotion for its customers, allowing them to get a 200 litre fuel card for £1.78."

Following the link will take you to a suspicious website that will attempt to steal your personal information. The site, purporting to be an official BP page, features the company's logo and states: "Congratulations! You have been selected to participate in the BP promotion! The government in cooperation with "bp" announced the distribution of fuel cards on 200 litres at 1.78£ [sic] to the British."

You will then be asked to...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT