Companies which use fuel cards may be at risk of being the victim of fuel card fraud and suffering the costs involved, warns road transport specialist solicitors Backhouse Jones, as fuel card cloning is on the rise. There has been a recent increase in fuel cards being cloned by fraudsters, resulting in operators becoming the victims of fraud and theft, the firm cautions, meaning stolen data is being used to create copied fuel cards with the charges going to the original card holder.
The firm advises operators to read the terms and conditions of agreements with fuel card providers and pay particular attention to the wording of the liability clause. “It is imperative that you understand who is liable for costs in instances of theft and third-party fraud,” the company said. “Most of the terms and conditions that we review exclude liability of the fuel card provider, and maintain that the card holder is liable for costs in the event of theft and third-party fraud.”
Should it occur, the operator risks being faced with the cost of stolen fuel from which they obtained no benefit, and no way of recouping the money. Backhouse Jones advises that companies should ensure that they have appropriate company-wide safety measures in place to limit exposure to theft and fraudulent behaviour, as well as ensuring that all drivers are aware that they need to protect their pin every time it is entered. Regular checks on fuel card transactions will also help minimise the impact, the firm advises.
