With gas prices rising across the country, everyone is looking for a way to save at the pump.

For most people, this involves joining loyalty programs or downloading apps to figure out where the cheapest gas in your neighborhood might be.

For other people, it involves committing crimes.

“There’s a new scam going around,” claims a woman named Kyndall Ames in Los Angeles on TikTok recently, explaining that her husband witnessed an attempted scam while refueling his car at the gas station.

The scam involves a coordinated effort between two people in two cars, with one paying for a gas pump that the other one uses and then claiming that “their” gas was stolen and guilting the attendant or a bystander into giving them free gas as a replacement.

“Somebody went inside to put fifty dollars on the pump,” Ames explains, “but his car wasn’t parked in front of the pump and another car came in and took that gas.”

“He went back inside and tried to tell the cashier what happened and tried to explain that he was confused by the numbering.”

“It didn’t cross my mind,” she admits. “I thought: ‘Wow, it sucks for that guy…'” But she didn’t initially realize the whole thing was a set-up.

“So I guess beware if you work in a gas station or even if you’re inside and you see people doing this,” she finishes. “It could be a scam.”

It’s unclear from the video if the man this woman’s husband witnessed asked him for money to replace the “stolen” gas or if this was just conjecture.

@kyndallames

they frickin knew each other!! sad, you never know if someone genuinely needs help or if they’re trying to scam you these days 😭 #scammer #scammers #scam #fyp #psa #scamalert #scamalert🚨🚨🚨

♬ original sound – Kyndall Ames

In the comments, people don’t quite pick up on the scam right away. Here’s someone who missed the point that the man “confused” about where he parked is in on the grift.

Gas station employees explain that this scam doesn’t work well and that staff is trained to ensure that people aren’t claiming pumps they aren’t parked at.

Here, one employee explains their policy of not only confirming pump numbers, but also the type of car parked at that pump before proceeding with the sale.

And of course, this scam would not work at all in areas where gas is pumped by employees instead, such as in New Jersey.

And, finally, there are those who choose to take their business elsewhere if they have to pay inside. Machines only for this fellow.

It’s harder than you think to “accidentally” pay for someone else’s gas.

What a surprise!

If you liked that story, check out this video from a former Chipotle employee who reveals how the company cheats customers out of food.