Photo: Speedway (Outer Image) Google Creative Commons (Inner Image)
It's a tale of greed and selfishness as old as mankind itself. Some calamitous event rocks society and some scam artist decides it's the perfect time to make a quick buck. As emasculating as it is, $5.00 a gallon for 87-octane is pretty disastrous for most people.
That's especially the case for residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a place where gas prices are higher than they've been in the history of the city. As if we needed to add insult on top of insult, the newest in an endless line of grifts sees predatory scammers reaching out to vulnerable city residents with promises of gas price relief that absolutely qualifies as too good to be true.
In one instance, a Pittsburgh woman was contacted with promises of $500 Speedway gas station gift cards for the too good to be the true price of $1.95. At a time when filling up the most frugal, fuel-sipping city car can run Pittsburgh residents $50.00 or more. It was an offer some people were distressed and desperate enough to take the leap of faith. In this case, only to find significant amounts of money stolen from their checking account before the scammers disappear without a trace.
Whether by mobile phone, social media, or other means, the problem is now so severe that the Federal Trade Commission issued an official warning urging Pittsburgh residents not to believe the lies and exaggerated claims these scammers are exploiting to rob hard-working citizens of their money. Ironically, leaving them even more unable to afford gasoline than had they never even answered the telephone.
Even the Speedway gas station chain itself was chiming in on the situation this week, calling claims of magically discounted $500 gas cards to be "false information," according to an official company spokesperson earlier this week. Be vigilant out there, people, lest you find yourself a target of these online schemes.
In one instance, a Pittsburgh woman was contacted with promises of $500 Speedway gas station gift cards for the too good to be the true price of $1.95. At a time when filling up the most frugal, fuel-sipping city car can run Pittsburgh residents $50.00 or more. It was an offer some people were distressed and desperate enough to take the leap of faith. In this case, only to find significant amounts of money stolen from their checking account before the scammers disappear without a trace.
Whether by mobile phone, social media, or other means, the problem is now so severe that the Federal Trade Commission issued an official warning urging Pittsburgh residents not to believe the lies and exaggerated claims these scammers are exploiting to rob hard-working citizens of their money. Ironically, leaving them even more unable to afford gasoline than had they never even answered the telephone.
Even the Speedway gas station chain itself was chiming in on the situation this week, calling claims of magically discounted $500 gas cards to be "false information," according to an official company spokesperson earlier this week. Be vigilant out there, people, lest you find yourself a target of these online schemes.
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