Rising fuel prices are leading to an increase in company vehicle drivers attempting to defraud their employers.

“Fuel fraud on fleets usually rises when petrol and diesel pump prices rise rapidly,” said Neville Briggs, managing director of CFC Solutions.

“Judged solely on what we are hearing from fleets, it could be quite widespread right now.”

Such fraud is most common in fleets where company vehicle drivers pay for fuel and the submit receipts for reimbursement, although even companies using fuel cards are becoming victims.

“Pay and reclaim is used by perhaps half of all fleets and offers almost no control over fraud.

"There is simply nothing to stop a driver submitting a couple of receipts every month for fuel that has been bought for their spouse’s car,” said Mr Briggs.

“We have heard of at least one case where a driver partially filled up their vehicle at a pump and then his wife pulled in behind to have her tank filled too.

"This showed on the pump as the same purchase and he paid using a company fuel card,” said Mr Briggs.