Drivers have been issued an urgent warning regarding a BP fuel card scam currently circulating on Facebook.
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 respond to the following three questions:
- Are you from the United Kingdom?
- How much gasoline do you use per month?
- Do you use BP gas stations?
Once you have done this, you will be given three attempts to pick the 'correct box' that contains the fraudulent fuel card from 12 on-screen boxes. After you have guessed correctly, you will be taken to a page that asks for your personal information in order to claim the fake prize.
How to spot a scam
In most cases, if an offer seems too good to be true — like the 200-litre BP fuel card — it will be a scam. Criminals can easily pull off convincing impersonations of real companies so you should check their official websites for any mention of the competition or deal.
On Facebook, another easy way to spot a scam is that genuine companies will have an authenticated blue tick badge next to their name on the site. This means that their page is genuine and has been verified by Facebook. If a page claiming to be a major company does not have this, you should be suspicious.
READ MORE —
- Love Island Edinburgh contestant Jay 'barely shown' in challenge as viewers fume
- Queen 'still got it' during Edinburgh visit according to viral TikTok
- Martin Lewis issues urgent scam warning with victims losing £12,000 on average
- Scottish influencer visiting Edinburgh baffled by road crossing etiquette in city
- Scotland's oldest wine seller visited by Charles Dickens opens new Edinburgh shop
