In a startling turn of events, a Detroit man managed to pilfer almost 800 gallons of gasoline worth nearly $3,000 from a Shell gas station at Eight Mile and Wyoming. What’s more astonishing is the method he used to carry out this brazen theft – exploiting the gas pump’s systems through a Bluetooth hack.
The audacious thief reportedly manipulated the gas station’s pump system by overriding it using a Bluetooth connection on his smartphone, effectively granting himself free access to the fuel. Once inside the system, the thief triggered a free-for-all, allowing vehicles to fill up without any charge.
The gas station owner, known as Mo, described the ordeal: “They just open the pump for them automatically, and then cars just keep coming up and filling up.” Despite the gas station staff’s attempts to intervene by hitting the pump stop button, the hacker proved too adept, rendering their efforts futile. Eventually, the station had to shut down the entire pump system using emergency stops.
This sophisticated scam isn’t an isolated incident. Gas stations in the area have fallen victim to similar ploys, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance. In another incident at a Speedway station in Riverview, thieves distracted a clerk with a Cash App problem while an accomplice hacked the pump, making off with $54 worth of gas.
Authorities are actively looking into the situation and reviewing CCTV video from the petrol station to find the offender. Owners and staff of gas stations are on high alert and advising consumers to be watchful and report any strange activity.
Rising petrol prices may increase despair, but turning to illicit activity just makes things worse. Businesses and consumers must continue to be watchful and work together to stop these criminal acts as law enforcement agencies persistently pursue the offenders.
