Police have charged a man who allegedly used stolen credit card details to purchase more than $1000 worth of petrol from multiple service stations across Auckland.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Williams said a petrol company manager began receiving notifications of petrol thefts between September 1 and 26.
Police said a man was captured on camera filling up various vehicles or walking onto the forecourt to fill jerry cans across nine different service stations, wearing the same clothing during each alleged incident.
“Police and the petrol company were able to match the timings of the purchases with CCTV and identify the same individual each time,” Williams said.
After identifying a suspect, officers executed a search warrant at a Torbay address in November, where items linked to the thefts were located.
Inquiries were still ongoing to determine how the alleged offender obtained the credit card details.
A 30-year-old man is due to appear in the North Shore District Court on December 9, charged with theft.
Sergeant Williams urged the public to be wary of credit card fraud with the upcoming festive season approaching.
“If anyone suspects they have been the victim of credit card fraud, they should contact their bank immediately to cancel or lock the card,” he said.
“Then call Police, as the earlier we can look into it the best chance there is of catching the offender and helping you recover your losses.”
