Shell Customer Fills Up Car With Gasoline. But Someone Left In a Screw—So He's Pumping on Your Credit Card Tab

"Y’all have no idea what we find INSIDE the pumps."

Shell customer fills up car. But someone left in a screw—so he's pumping on your credit card tab

Photo by: user3766121563186 & engin akyurt

Madeleine Wagner

By: Madeleine Wagner

Dec 2, 2025 at 6:00am ET

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It’s not enough these days that you have to watch out for porch bandits, phishing calls, and the classic bait-and-switch sales techniques. Now drivers have a new nuisance aimed at anyone just trying to top off their tank and get on with their day.

It’s a subtle hustle, but laughably obvious once you know what to look out for. And unlike other gas-pump swindles, it doesn’t involve stealing your credit card information. Just your money.

Keep Your Eyes Open, and Always Check the Pump

Thanks to one intrepid TikTok creator, there’s a video showing what this sneaky trick looks like at a Shell gas station pump. The post comes from Megatron the Inventor (@user3766121563186), who’s usually more dedicated to posting schematics of inventions than things to look out for. But with almost 292,000 views, people are, in fact, looking out.

In a video that’s captioned, "Warning, new gas pump scam, be alert this holiday," we see a close-up of a cradle for a Shell gasoline pump nozzle (the place you rehang the gas nozzle after you’re done fueling). But up in the corner, a construction screw is visible.

What’s it doing there? Well, it’s a way to prevent the pump from ending the transaction once the nozzle is replaced in the cradle. If the transaction remains open, the next person can pump gas—straight to your tab. Of course, it is an easy thing to overlook. You’re trying to get gassed up and get going.

In the on-screen text, Megatron the Inventor underscores this explanation: "...someone had put this screw on the left side of [the] pumps to lock it and the next person [will] fill up on your bill."

Wait For Your Receipt

No one wants to end up unwittingly paying for someone else’s tank of gas. Naturally, the comments section, equal parts helpful and "I told you do," has plenty of advice.

"Man I sit there and wait for my receipt and always make sure it goes back to the home screen," said Nekea.

And about 120 users agree with her, including many who suggested paying for gas with cash inside.

More troubling was the assertion by Bree, who presumably works at a gas station, "Y’all have no idea what we find INSIDE the pumps. Just pay inside," she wrote.

Although LaChata420 asked the obvious question, "like what?" Bree never answered.

A few people weren’t so sure that this alleged scam is a real thing. One wrote, "I work at a gas station and it will time out if you’re no longer pumping gas." If the pump times out, presumably whoever was trying to fill up on your dime would be out of luck.

Cecil Boyz echoed this point, writing, "Don’t pump reset once pump is put up (or as you close the flap) yes it does. This don’t make sense to me."

Does This Really Happen?

This is where it gets a little anecdotal. Though there have been no official reports of screw-tampered gas pumps that Motor1 could find, internet evidence suggests that double-checking could save you money.

One user posted a photo of a very similar situation: a gas pump with what appears to be a screw or bolt holding the pump lever down. She says the gas station attendant confirmed it wasn’t normal and they found a couple more like that nearby.

On Reddit thread r/Phoenix, someone posted an image of a gas pump with a screw embedded in the cradle. The caption read, "Getting gas at Fry’s gas station and I saw this on 2 pumps."

They added, "There was a screw jammed at the bottom of the mechanism where the pump goes back into and sits after pumping gas. It can't be a coincidence that it's in 2 pumps." They said they had to press hard to end their transaction.

What do you think?

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’Tis the Season

Since we’re high into the holiday season, when everyone is distracted, Jeff Rossen of Rossen Reports reminds drivers to be careful of other things too:

Pump switching: Someone "helps" you pump gas, never resets the pump and keeps pumping gas, on your dime.
Overcharging: A gas station posts one price for gas, but charges more at the pump. Pump one gallon of gas, and make sure the prices match.
Bluetooth skimming: Scammers hide bluetooth skimmers inside the gas pump, as soon as you swipe, they’ve got your information. Before paying, make sure to check your phone for any odd Bluetooth devices.
Screwy gas pumps or not, there are still plenty of reasons to stay alert and check your receipts.

Motor1 reached out to Megatron the Inventor via TikTok direct message and to Shell via their media contact. We’ll update this if they respond.

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