Since January 2018 members of the Northumberland County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP ) have investigated over 50 separate incidents of people claiming to be out of fuel and asking for gas money. This scam preys on the generous nature of citizens who wish nothing more than to help.
Suspects approach people on or near the Highway 401 corridor and claim they are out of fuel and trying to get home to their family. In some cases defrauders offer jewellery as collateral in exchange for gas money. Unsuspecting victims could be stuck with worthless costume jewelry.
This scam has been happening near major highways across the province. Scammers seem to move the fraud into different areas in search of new, uninformed victims. If you locate someone who is out of fuel and asking for assistance on major highways, contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. If the person is legitimately out of fuel, police can make sure they are escorted safely off the highway.
