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'Screw scam' spurs new fears for drivers when filling their tanks

EDITORS NOTE: More questions have been raised after a small town police department in Virginia posted on social media about an apparent "screw scam" involving a gas pump. Since then, some have said what was alleged as a potential scam is not possible or highly unlikely. FOX Television Station reporters have reached out to various government agencies across the country.An inspector with the Minnesota Department of Commerce Weights and Measures Division provided the following statement:"The few videos I have seen show someone jamming a screw into the boot of the dispenser, causing the internal activator to be pinned in an upward position. If this is truly how it’s done, then I am skeptical because the dispenser shuts off when you place the nozzle back into the boot. So, if I jammed something in there to make that internal valve stay up, then wouldn’t it behave as if the nozzle had been hung up? I would think you need the pump activated to do this. That said, we do have a tip for people so they don’t fall victim to this scam if it’s happening: Get a receipt. A receipt cannot be generated until the pump has been deactivated after fueling."FOX Television Station reporters also reached out to Gas Buddy, a popular mobile and web platform that helps drivers find the cheapest gas prices. 

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