The Fowlerville Police Department in Michigan recently discovered a sophisticated scam involving gas pumps. Perpetrators drill a small hole into the fuel nozzle holder and insert a screw. This clever manipulation prevents the pump's safety latch from fully resetting, thereby failing to register that the nozzle has been returned to its original position.

As a result, the subsequent customer's fuel purchase is inadvertently added to the previous customer's bill. The scammer can then return to the station, remove the screw, and pump gas for free, effectively stealing fuel paid for by an unwitting individual.

This discovery is particularly notable because earlier this year, Snopes, a website specializing in verifying online information, had deemed rumors of inserting a screw into a nozzle holder for "free" gas to be merely a hoax.

A drilled hole in the nozzle holder prevents the safety latch from returning to its normal position. *Fowlerville Police Department*

Despite the earlier debunking, Fowlerville police confirmed this specific trick has indeed appeared at a local gas station. They are urging drivers to carefully inspect gas pumps for any signs of tampering, such as drill marks or screws, before fueling their vehicles.

The warning comes as Michigan drivers, and those across the nation, continue to grapple with highly volatile fuel prices. The average national gas price surpassed 4 USD per gallon on 20/7, a surge linked to the escalating conflict between the US and Iran.

Fuel prices have seen significant fluctuations over the past year. They dropped to a post-pandemic low of nearly 3 USD in early 2026 but then climbed to a high of 4,56 USD in May, when the conflict began disrupting global oil supply.

Economists warn that these elevated fuel prices could lead to drivers paying more at the pump for months to come, even if the conflict eventually subsides.