A viral Instagram video has exposed a major scam at petrol stations. CA and finance influencer Sarthak Ahuja shared how an Indian man allegedly lost over ₹1 lakh after using his credit card at a fuel pump.
The man was traveling between cities when he stopped to refuel his car. He handed over his credit card and entered his PIN, but the transaction failed twice. On the third attempt, the payment finally went through. However, he never received a “transaction declined” message for the first two failed attempts.
A few weeks later, fraudsters charged over ₹1 lakh to his card while he was asleep. Investigations later confirmed that scammers had cloned his card at the petrol pump’s machine and stolen his PIN during the failed transactions.
Tips to Avoid Credit Card Fraud
Sarthak Ahuja shared important safety tips in his video’s caption. He strongly advised against swiping credit cards at petrol pumps, ATMs, or merchant stores, especially if the card machine looks damaged. Instead, he recommended using safer payment methods like UPI or tap-and-pay.
He also urged people to always check for a “transaction declined” SMS if a payment fails. If no message arrives, it could mean the card has been cloned. Additionally, he suggested disabling international payments on credit cards unless traveling abroad, as most frauds with cloned cards happen in foreign countries.
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The video quickly sparked discussions online. Many users shared their experiences with similar scams. One person commented, “That’s why UPI is always safer.” Another recalled a fraud incident at Giani’s Rajouri Garden and said it took over a month to get their money back.
A user warned that even tap payments could be risky, as criminals can copy NFC data and misuse it. Another shared that scammers tried multiple international transactions on their card in Europe and the US. However, since they had disabled international transactions, their bank detected the fraud and issued a replacement card.
Millions View the Video
Since being posted, the video has received over three million views. It has raised awareness about fuel pump scams and the importance of secure payment methods. Many now urge others to switch to safer options like UPI to prevent fraud.
