After a long day of work, a man is approached at a Phillips 66 gas station by a woman who claims to need just $5 in diesel fuel to get home. He helps her without hesitation—until he sees her attempting to pull the same maneuver at the QuikTrip next door.
Ryan Baker (@cumminsdezl8585) told the story in a TikTok video posted on Sep. 28. In the video, Baker says, “So this evening before I came home I’m stopping to get fuel for my truck. I’m sitting at the diesel island, and this lady walks over with her daughter who is probably about 3 years old. And she asks if I’d be kind enough to spare five or 10 bucks to put diesel in her Ford F-350. She left her wallet at home. She doesn’t have enough diesel to get back to the house.”
Woman Asks Man to Put $5 of Diesel In Her Ford F-350
“Me being the kind person I am, I said, ‘No big deal,’” he says. But his agreement came with a catch. First, Baker asked the woman to turn on her truck so he could confirm that she was in fact low on fuel and he wasn’t the target of a scam.
She obliged him and he confirmed that she had about an eighth of a tank of gas. He decided to put $15 of diesel in the truck to get her on her way.
That should’ve been the end of the interaction, but unfortunately it continued. Baker filled up his own tank, but noticed something interesting as he prepared to leave the gas station. Instead of heading home, the woman drove over to a nearby QuikTrip station and parked at a diesel pump there.
Immediately, Baker realized what was going on. “In my mind, I’m like, ‘She’s trying to scam people to get them to fill up her tank,’” he says.
Man Foils QuikTrip Diesel Scam
Baker followed the woman to the QuikTrip. When she noticed him, he says, she took off and went back to the original Phillips 66 station. That’s when he decided to involve the cashier in the situation.
After he explained his suspicions to the Phillips 66 employee, Baker went back outside and saw the woman approaching another driver. “I ask the guy, ‘Is she trying to tell you that she doesn’t have her wallet and she just needs $5 to $10 of diesel to get home?’” Baker says.
The man confirmed that was exactly what happened. “I just looked at her [and said], ‘Ma’am, I was trying to do a good deed and just be a good person and help you and your daughter out. But what you’re doing is really [expletive] and you’re taking advantage of people.’”
How the QuikTrip Diesel Scam Ended
Threatened with the police, the woman got back into her Ford F-350 and drove away. “In my mind, it left such a bitter taste in my mouth,” he says. “People wonder why a lot of people don’t want to help people out. Why people are so jaded and cold-hearted? Things like this are why.”
While Baker says he will not become that way, he will in the future be a bit more discerning when he does help strangers.
In the comments section, viewers agreed that people that scam make the world a more difficult place for everyone. “This is the reason why people don’t want to help anyone,” one person said.
Another person suggested the Ford F-350 should’ve been an indication that she wasn’t in need. “If she can afford an F-350, she can afford gas,” they wrote.
A Reddit user on this thread posted to r/GNV a few years ago called it the “oldest scam in the book.” However, sometimes people really just do need help. On another Reddit thread, a person said they were suspicious after being approached at a pump for help late at night, but they soon learned the person had a language barrier and couldn’t figure out how to work the interface.
All Hip Hop contacted Baker via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted QuikTrip via email for comment.
@cumminsdezl8585 Just be a good person! #overwatch #stayvigilant #beagoodperson #dontbeapos #dobetteryall ♬ original sound – Ryan Baker