Investigators say they’ve broken up a complex ring that used stolen credit cards and a specially equipped vehicle to steal tens of thousands of gallons of fuel in Ventura County.
A commercial fuel company in Oxnard discovered a data breach that allowed fraudsters to use credit cards linked to its accounts. The loss was estimated at more than $100,000.
Ventura County Sheriff’s detectives began contacting gas stations where the losses occurred. They discovered that suspects were using multiple credit cards to buy up to $2,500 worth of fuel at a time.
Using license plate readers, they identified a truck involved in a number of the thefts. On November 4, they located it at a gas station. A Riverside County man was arrested, and a number of counterfeit credit cards were seized.
The truck looked like a work utility vehicle, but investigators discovered it had been modified with multiple hidden tanks capable of storing hundreds of gallons of fuel. It also had a gas-station-like pump, which allowed it to transfer fuel to other vehicles, allowing the fuel to be resold.
Detectives say there may be more arrests in connection with the operation.
