What to do if…
someone approaches your car at a fuel pump and tries to distract you

What to do now

1. End the interaction. Say “No” once, or say nothing. Put your wallet and phone away in a closed pocket or bag. Keep your keys with you.
2. Lock the car. Lock all doors if you can do so safely. Keep valuables out of sight.
3. Move toward a safer pause. Keep your distance and move toward the store counter, station staff, or another occupied area when safe. Tell staff: “Someone is trying to distract me at pump X. Please help me call for assistance.”
4. Call 911 for immediate danger. Call 911 if you are being threatened, blocked from leaving, followed, or if a theft is happening now. Move away from the pump rather than returning to it if approaching the nozzle would move you closer to danger.
5. Handle the nozzle only when safe. If the nozzle is attached and you can safely reach it, stop fueling and return it to the pump cradle before getting into the car or driving away. If you cannot safely do that, stay away and ask station staff or emergency responders for help.
6. Report suspicious behavior if needed. Once you are safe, you can look up the local police non-emergency number or ask station staff if you want to report suspicious behavior that is no longer an immediate emergency.
7. Report missing cards promptly. Once you are safe, use your bank or credit union app or call the card issuer to report a missing card or unauthorized activity. Check recent transactions.
8. Secure a missing phone. Once you are safe, use the phone’s locate, lock, or erase feature from another device. Contact your wireless carrier and secure important accounts, especially email and banking.
9. Use identity-theft help if needed. If personal information was misused or used to open accounts, use IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.