TIMBERVILLE, Va. — The Timberville Police Department is warning drivers to watch for a gas pump scam that could keep a transaction open after they drive away. In a social media statement, the town said scammers may hide a screw inside the nozzle cradle, a small but important trick that can leave a pump running and expose card information to unauthorized charges.

The warning is drawing attention now because people are still filling up every day, and consumer experts say the risk goes beyond the usual skimmer concerns many drivers already know about. Julie Wheeler said drivers should look over the pump before and after fueling, monitor their statements closely and use credit cards instead of debit cards when they can. “Check [whether] the pump has been tampered with or that kind of thing,” she said, adding that gas pump tampering has become harder to spot over the years.

Wheeler said the newest worry is not just a card reader hidden on the machine. The scam can prevent a transaction from finishing, allowing someone to continue it later and charge it to the customer. “What has been seen are people trying to make sure that the transaction doesn’t finish, so that they can come in behind and continue that transaction and charge it to you,” she said. She urged drivers not to choose the farthest pump, saying those spots are more likely to be out of sight of the attendant, and to fuel closer to where staff can watch what is happening.

She also said drivers who use cards at the pump should keep a close eye on their accounts after fueling. If a card can be locked when not in use, she said, that can help prevent unauthorized charges. “Check your credit card statements regularly. Get online access and look every day for charges, or shut it down.... That’s going to help you tremendously from having issues,” Wheeler said. She said credit cards offer more room to dispute a bad charge, while debit card fraud can pull money out immediately before it is recovered.

Officials said drivers should stop fueling and tell the station attendant right away if they notice anything unusual around a pump, then call law enforcement if they suspect tampering. Anthony Ramsey, who works for the Virginia Department of Agriculture’s Office of Weights and Measures, said drivers should make sure the transaction is finished before they leave. He said that can mean getting a receipt that shows the sale is complete or checking that the pump screen has reset.

The alert also arrives as gas prices remain a hot topic, but this warning is about the pump itself rather than the price on the sign. Wheeler said the screw scam is a different threat from the more familiar skimmer, and that is part of what makes it hard for drivers to spot. What remains unclear is how widespread the reported scheme is in Virginia, and whether any specific stations have been found tampered with.

For now, the message from Timberville is plain: check the pump, stay close to the attendant and do not drive off until the transaction is truly over.