Fuel fraud can have devastating consequences on fleets, especially for businesses that are already struggling with the high cost of fuel. The term fuel card fraud usually refers to when drivers use their fuel card in a way that is not authorised. This includes filling a personal vehicle, draining the tank and refilling it, filling up a fuel canister, or simply misrecording mileage. Fuel card fraud can also be committed using lost and stolen cards.

According to the“Fraud Matters” report by Shell, around 65% of fleet managers of company cars view fuel-related theft as a big problem for their firm. Data from the DVLA supports this concern. During July-September 2023, the DVLA received over 39,000 requests for information on drivers thought to be guilty of fuel theft - 77% more than 2022.

Our customer portal offers fleet managers the ability to monitor fuel transactions by date, driver, location and fuel spend. Regularly accessing this data is a great first step to identifying unusual trends that could indicate card fraud. The information in the customer portal can allow fleet managers to raise the alarm, and the FraudGuard team will investigate and reimburse the cost of any fraudulent transitions. The portal also facilities simple card administration tasks such as cancelling cards when drivers have left the business.

Fraud Guard is your insurance policy against fuel card fraud. Fleet managers simply flag anything they think is suspicious, or report lost and stolen cards, and our team will step in, carry out an investigation, and reimburse any costs incurred by the fraudulent activity.

Fraud Guard is only available to our fuel card customers. If you haven’t yet got a fuel card, please look at our range of solutions, for businesses of all sizes.

When monitoring possible fuel fraud, it pays to keep an eye out for unusual fueling patterns. These might include frequent fuel purchases within a short period, transactions taking place at unusual hours, or multiple transactions in different locations. Excessive fuel consumption, fuel consumption higher than the fuel tank capacity. or a sudden increase in fuel expenses could also inculcate that the card is being used for a non-fleet-vehicle. Transactions involving unusually high amounts of fuel, or odometer readings that do not align with the amount of fuel purchased, can also be a red flag.

FraudGuard is an add-on service. While it isn’t included with your fuel card as standard, adding it to your package is as simple as giving our team a call. If you want added protection from fraud, let the team know and we will provide a no-obligation quote for the service.