Relationship between Petrol Theft and Petrol Prices, The

In NSW there has been a sharp increase in the incidence of fraud at service stations in recent years. More than four out of five of these incidents are related to petrol theft. Typically, a person fills a car's tank with petrol and then drives off without paying. Over the same period, the price of petrol has also increased considerably. This paper shows that there is a strong correlation between higher petrol prices and the increase in petrol theft. Also associated with the increased theft of petrol is an increase in the incidence of number plate theft.