Don’t Be Fooled By Fake Gas Coupons   

We may not be able to predict gasoline prices, but one thing we can predict—as prices continue to rise, there will be more and more gas-related scams and cons popping up.

We’ve already seen a return of some old favorites that never seem to die out, like the selling of phony gas additives or auto add-ons like “gas tank magnets.”

All of them promise you’ll see huge increases in gas mileage. But trust me—you’ll see OPEC giving away free gas in America before you’ll see your gas mileage go up from any of those gray-haired old scams. 

But here’s a new twist in gas schemes—people selling what is usually described as gas coupons, gas gift cards or gas rewards programs. They’ve already been spotted at several online auction sites as well as in mass spam mailings.  

Some sellers claim the coupons have been clipped from newspapers, magazines or shopping guides. Others say they got them as premiums or gifts and can’t use them. All claim the coupons are genuine and you can buy them at greatly reduced prices. That part may (or may not) be true, but here’s what is true in all too many cases— 

The person in whose name they were issued must use the coupons. Their value cannot be transferred to anyone else. 

The coupons are from national gas companies, but earmarked for redemption only at gas stations far from your local area. There is no guarantee that local branches of national gas companies must honor these coupons.  

Or…. 

The coupons are fake, created in Photoshop and printed on someone’s home computer. These days, even banks are being fooled—temporarily—by phony cashier’s checks produced this way. So beware any gas coupons you’re considering buying from a secondary source. 

The coupons, gift cards and reward programs you can trust are those that come to you, in your name, directly from the business or program that’s offering gas savings as an incentive for your business.  

For instance, high gas prices are forcing people to cut back on travel plans. That’s bad news for hotels, motels and inns that depend on travelers for their bread-and-butter, so many are offering gas-related incentives to their guests. To see if the lodging you’re considering staying at is offering a gas incentive, check their websites.  

Use any search engine to look for terms like “hotel + gas + discount” or “motel + gas “ coupon.”  By searching for “b&b + gas + discounts” we found a dandy list of B&B’s (bed and breakfast inns) that offer discounts to help offset the price of gas at this website: http://www.bnbfinder.com/?action=specialsSearch&specialTypeId=17 

Remember, anytime there’s high prices or shortages in anything, con artists are sure to follow. Protect yourself by playing it safe.  

 Subscribe to Our Save Money On Gasoline RSS Feed