VISALIA, CA — The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office issued a formal warning Thursday, Jan. 29, about a new method thieves are using to steal large amounts of gasoline with electronic bypass devices.
The warning follows a recent incident where a local gas station in Tulare County lost 1,800 gallons of fuel to the technique. According to the District Attorney’s Office, the theft cost the station owner thousands of dollars.
How the Theft Works
Investigators found that thieves use common residential remote controls—similar to those used for holiday lights—paired with a hidden receiver to carry out the crime. According to YourCentralValley.com, this setup allows them to skip the payment screen and start the pump immediately.
Once the hardware is secretly installed inside the pump, thieves use the remotes to open internal valves. This allows them to take fuel without the machine recording a sale. The illegal gear can be installed quietly in just a few minutes, making the devices very difficult to spot.
Advice for Station Owners
Prosecutors say frequent, daily inspections are the best defense against this scam. They encourage owners to check their equipment regularly for extra parts or signs that the pumps have been altered.
By finding these illegal devices early, owners can prevent major financial losses. Checking for strange parts or unusual activity is currently the best way for station operators to protect their inventory from this new high-volume theft method.
