California is a self pumping state, meaning you have to pump gas yourself. There is no attendant. Considering the weather is nearly always perfect in CA, it’s not a big deal. Since I am always questioning, have you ever tried to pump $.01 or $.02 of gas? I don’t think it’s possible to do. The pumps always start at $.03! Try it next time you fill up your tank. Where is the extra $.03 going? If a busy gas station fills 500 cars per day, that’s an extra $15/day or almost $5,500/year to the station owner.

Gas expands when it is warmer. Filling your tank first thing in the morning when the gas and your tank is cool will save you about $.15-$.20 per tank. This more than makes up for the $.03 extra the station makes.

I know many people will take advantage of others when given the opportunity. Staying on the gas station theme, identity thieves are becoming bolder and taking advantage of trusting gas station patrons. Here are a few well known scams that are easily avoided:

• Take your keys with you when you fill up your tank especially when you have family waiting in the car while you pump. I hear many stories of cars stolen with the kids still strapped in the back seat while the owner is watching the pump.
• While some trusting gas station patrons are sliding their credit card in the card reader, an identity thief pulls up next to the passenger door, or walks up to the door, opens it and takes the purse or wallet on the passenger seat. The driver doesn’t know it happened until they get home and look for their wallet. Within hours, those stolen credit cards are added to an organized crime internet site used solely to buy and sell credit card numbers. It could show up in an IRC chat room, a web site designed to buy and sell cards or an FTP site. This is a growing multimillion dollar market and is run primarily by organized crime units. Keep your passenger doors locked when pumping gas.
• Credit cards are not just stolen from gas stations. They are also stolen from gym lockers, restaurant card readers and retail stores and any other place they are used. Keep an eye on your credit cards at all times when they are being swiped, so you know they were not swiped through a second card skimmer used to record the card number.

It’s time to pump up your awareness of identity theft. In this arena, knowledge is power. Check back often for additional insight and tips on protecting your identity.

Be safe.