Fuel theft takes many forms: siphoning from tanks, inflated receipts, fuel cards used for other vehicles, and unauthorised trips. Each one is hard to spot from receipts alone.
Warning signs
- Consumption per kilometre that is consistently worse than similar vehicles
- Refuelling volumes larger than the tank capacity
- Frequent refuelling with little distance travelled
- Vehicles parked at unusual locations overnight
How technology helps
Fuel-level sensors measure the tank continuously. A sudden drop while the vehicle is parked triggers an alert with the time and location. Combined with GPS mileage and fuel-card data, you get an automatic reconciliation of every litre bought versus every litre used.