We all come across online scams of all kinds. Phishing emails fill our inboxes every day. Staying cyber-savvy is like a job. But there are problems in the real world, too. Staying safe outdoors is essential, even in places as simple as gas stations.
It’s not just digital threats. Crafty scams are still all around us. They can easily catch people off guard. They can happen when you’re just filling up your gas tank. There’s a scam that uses something shiny. It’s happening way too often now.
Gas stations are easy targets for criminals. Card skimmers are a big problem. They quickly steal your financial data and cause huge losses every year. But the scams are different, too. They happen right out in the open, and this time there’s no electronics involved.
Just sweet talk and fake props. Often called the “Freeway Gold” scam. It often targets people’s good intentions. They want to help someone in need. Maybe also want to get a good price.
What does the “Freeway Gold” scam look like? Imagine a scene like this. You’re at a gas station. Focusing on the gas tank or leaving the car. Someone walks by you. Usually a man, sometimes a family. The car they drive looks pretty nice, too.
Maybe an expensive SUV model. The car itself always looks immaculate. But the person has a story. Always dramatic. Designed to break your heart. Trying to resonate with you inside.
The story is simple, but very convincing. They’re stuck there. Need gas money to drive home quickly. They say they’re on a business trip. Or there’s a big problem at home. Their card doesn’t work at the time. This sets up the next step.
What they offer is a good faith offering. A piece of jewelry they are wearing right now. Usually part of a ring or necklace. It has a large 14k gold mark on it, sometimes 18k gold. This mark is very obvious and is intentionally made to look valuable.
The scammer will show you the item and claim it is a valuable piece of gold. But now they need it urgently. They will sell it for a small amount of money. Like a hundred dollars or a little more. The implication is that it will always be worth much more.
The story could also be the other way around. They will not sell it all right now. Instead they are leaving it to you. As collateral or collateral. Promising to pay it back later. Paying back the money you lent them, maybe with a little interest later.
The goal is to get the victim thinking immediately. Not only is it helping someone in need, but maybe it’s a real bargain, or at least a safe cash transaction. This win-win seems great.
But these jewels aren’t real gold, they’re cheap fakes. They’re made of base metals like copper, with no real precious metal parts inside. Even the purity marks are fake, even though they look nice. What looks good is actually worthless.
The allure of the scammers is obvious. They’ll take advantage of gas stations or rest areas, parking lots, and roadside parking. People there are usually in transit, focused on getting around. It’s easy to catch them off guard.
There’s a constant stream of potential newcomers. The short-stop nature of gas stations. The scammers can move quickly there. If the first move fails, they move on to the next person. The risk of being caught by the police is low.
Someone else online said something similar. They were filling up their car. Two people asked in Spanish. Said they were from out of state and needed gas money. They offered to help with a gold chain. The commenter quickly left. They wondered what the end result of this was.
The answer was simple, they wanted cash. Used useless scrap metal in exchange. Other users recognized this as well. The gold ring scam looks like this. They may cry and say they lost their wallet. Need help paying for gas. Use fake gold coins in exchange for your money.
You will end up losing hundreds of dollars. People fall for it all the time. You see, the scammers drive nice cars. Or fake jewelry that looks realistic. After multiple encounters, the consensus is clear. Any time someone asks you for money, especially near a gas station.
Quickly identify it as a scam. Quickly leave. Another person agreed completely. He said that “the car is out of gas” is the oldest trick. Adding fake gold coins is just a gimmick. Now it makes the request look more real. It’s not like begging all the time, but more like a transaction.
Police across the country have issued alerts. The Saskatchewan RCMP has also revealed this trend. Fake gold scams are happening frequently. Someone offers to sell or trade fake gold, asks for money in an emergency, or even offers fake gold as collateral, and sometimes even takes your jewelry.
The reports received by the police illustrate this well. On September 13, 2024, a similar incident occurred. The Carlisle RCMP later received a report. Near Highway 13, a driver asked for gas money and offered a gold ring in exchange for additional payment. A few days later, others reported the same situation.
On September 16, the Shawnavon RCMP received the same report. A male driver stopped a driver. First there, he asked for gas money, and later he had already received some money, and then asked the other party to provide more cash, and finally gave the other party a gold ring. These incidents are not isolated cases.
This is part of a larger trend at present. People are selling fake “gold jewelry” in public places, such as gas stations and parking lots. The main purpose is for money. Police said the jewelry was not genuine. It had no value at all.
So how to quickly identify this kind of person? Looks friendly but seems urgent. Then it may actually be a scammer. Now the first and most important red flag is the story itself. Strangers will approach you anywhere. They often tell urgent stories.
Especially next to a gas station. Suspicion should be raised immediately. A real urgent need, not a jewelry store. Experts mentioned this. Another key sign is the offer of jewelry. The scammer wants you to think it is nice. Offer personal jewelry that they are currently wearing.
For small gas cash. This is not normal. “Here is jewelry to make up for your troubles” or something like that. Nothing is normal. They will make strange requests. Like a speaker provided in the trunk. These transactions are usually fake.
The jewelry may have obvious markings. This is also a warning to you. The scammer wants it to look okay. Some experts will notice certain markings. It may be everyday jewelry that is not very common. Heavy 18k gold jewelry given by strangers looks terrible. Gas stations may be suspicious.
Now think about the scammer’s logic. If they have real gold and silver and need cash urgently. The most reasonable path is always simple. Sell the jewelry to a legitimate merchant. Usually deals in precious metals. Pawn shops or jewelers will do this.
There have been many incidents near such places. They will test the gold and buy it. In fact, they will find random people. The situation at the gas station now proves this. The “gold” is not real, and they know it. They can’t always pass professional tests. There are also nice cars and families there.
Maybe it’s to build trust. Or to make you resonate quickly. Make things look less like begging. There are more real travel problems. But even this can be a red flag. Why can’t credit cards work with nice cars and families? They made up part of the story at the time.
Now the jewelry transaction seems normal. In essence, it is a gold ring scam. Relying on creating a sense of urgency. Forging a story that you can understand. The items displayed always look valuable. The prices given make people feel like a good deal.
For victims of gold ring scams and similar scams in public places, always report it. Report it to your local police; this helps them stop similar cases from happening. Also, for any credit card scams, such as skimming, tell the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Reporting to the FTC helps protect more people from being victimized in the future. Reporting also provides useful information that helps the FTC take down these criminal gangs. These steps can help prevent today’s scams, whether it’s the traditional fake gold scam or the new high-tech skimming problem that’s everywhere.
