Fuel crime rising as prices at the pumps spike
Fleets have been warned to guard against fuel crime as petrol and diesel prices spike due to the conflict in the Middle East.
According to FleetCheck, fuel crime historically rises when prices at the pumps peak. This includes syphoning fuel from parked vehicles and company drivers adjusting mileage or purchasing fuel for private use.
Barrie Wilson, strategic relationship manager at FleetCheck, said: “There are a number of ways fleets can be affected by fuel crime but essentially, the risks fall into two categories – forms of fraud committed by employees and theft from parked company vehicles. These require very different solutions but both can be expected to potentially increase following the quite dramatic price rises we have seen recently.”
He continued: “For employees, effective deterrence can be as simple as letting drivers know that you are scrutinising fuel expenditure and mileage, and any significant fuel theft will result in not just dismissal but the police will also be notified.
“Theft from cars and commercial vehicles is also a risk. It’s rare in 2026 that fleets operate vehicles where theft is as simple as unscrewing the cap and syphoning fuel. However, the damage caused by thieves, such as forcing the flap or cap, is often much more expensive to rectify than the actual fuel loss.
“There are no easy answers here, but a good idea is to issue guidance to drivers asking them to take care when parking vehicles, especially overnight. Cars, vans and especially trucks parked in the shadows in remote locations are more likely to be targeted.”
