06/05/2026
Please read!
We are reaching out to make you aware of a fuel delivery fraud scheme that has been reported in our area and that attempted to target one of our clients and friends earlier today.
Here is how the scheme works: An individual contacts businesses posing as a fuel reseller, offering to arrange a discounted delivery — sometimes described as "insurance fuel" or surplus fuel — at prices below market. He then places a fraudulent order with a fuel distributor using a stolen or fake payment method, directs the delivery to your address, and collects payment from you directly via Venmo or other peer-to-peer payment apps. The fuel distributor is left unpaid, and the business receiving the delivery may also face complications.
To better protect your account, we are asking all clients to designate authorized buyer names on file with us. If you have always handled your orders personally, we already know you and you are all set. However, if you have employees, family members, or anyone else who sometimes places orders or accepts deliveries under your account, please let us know their names so we can confirm those requests are legitimate. Going forward, if an order comes in from someone not on your authorized list, we will contact you directly before proceeding.
For those of you on a house account, this is especially important. We want to make sure only the right people are able to purchase under your name. While we do our best to recognize familiar faces and voices, we have no way of knowing when someone has left your organization or when you have brought on someone new. Keeping your authorized buyer list current is the single best thing you can do to ensure no one is making purchases under your account without your knowledge. It takes just a quick call or email to update, and we will handle the rest. Or just let Nikki or Jess know next time your in the shop and they will take care of it.
If you would like to add or update authorized contacts on your account, please reply to this email or call our office and we will get that set up for you right away.
Thank you to the client who called us immediately today — that quick action is exactly what helps us protect everyone in our network. We take the security of your account seriously and will continue to be vigilant on your behalf.
As always, if anything about a delivery, a call, or a price offer feels off, please contact us directly. We would rather get an extra phone call than have one of our clients taken advantage of.
Thank you for your continued trust in Lutz Petroleum.
Warm regards,
Ryan Claterbaugh
Lutz Petroleum, Inc.
780 Oakland Road | Spindale, NC 28160
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