Cheap online fuel oil or pellets? Beware of scammy online shops

Refilling a tank of fuel oil or buying a stack of firewood is not cheap these days. It makes sense to look around for more affordable suppliers, and this is precisely what scammers are counting on. They create online shops that appear trustworthy, often with an existing company’s address and company number, and then disappear once you have paid. Here’s how to recognise the signs.

The timing of such fraud attempts is no coincidence. At the end of September 2026, the official maximum price for fuel oil had risen to around EUR 1.55 per litre for orders from 2,000 litres. A year ago, this price was still around EUR 0.80 (source). That means filling up a 2,000-litre tank costs you around EUR 1,500 more than last year. For pellets and firewood, the increase has been less extreme, but families are still looking for better deals.

This is precisely the time that scammy online shops start popping up. The FPS Economy issues warnings every autumn, and the figures make it very clear why. Since the beginning of 2022, FPS Economy has received nearly 2,000 reports of fraudulent sellers of fuel oil, pellets or firewood on websites or social media. Victims lost EUR 388 on average, for a total of just over EUR 610,000 altogether (source). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg: according to the Economic Inspectorate’s investigations of scammers’ accounts, the amounts circulating there are a hundred times higher than what victims are reporting. Only 1% of victims of fraudulent online sellers submit a report to the FPS Economy (source).

Why fuel is such good bait

Fuel oil and pellets are nearly perfect products for scammers. It is common for orders to be for large amounts and fully paid in advance by the customer. People do not get worried if an order takes a while to be delivered. Because prices fluctuate from day to day, “we still have stock at the old price” sounds perfectly credible.

Moreover, all the demand is concentrated into a few weeks. If you have an empty tank in October, you need more fuel delivered fast and are less likely to make critical comparisons. Scammers know this and plan their advertisements accordingly.

What is their approach?

The approach is always the same. Scammers set up an online shop that looks legit at first glance, with product photos, a price list, general terms and conditions and a contact form. They promote the site through social media and search engine ads, with much bigger discounts than what the competition is offering. To appear trustworthy, they sometimes use a real company’s details such as the address and company number on their site. That way anyone searching for that number will find the existing company and think everything is fine.

After you pay, nothing happens. The ordered goods do not exist. In most cases, the seller stops responding. If they do, they offer excuses, citing problems with the carrier, supplier delays or even asking for more money due to additional costs. They are playing for time. If you don’t file a complaint immediately, the shop can stay online and attract new victims for longer. At a certain point, the site disappears and the money is lost for good.

The Economic Inspectorate takes these sites offline as soon as it detects them. Since January 2025, it has already made 1,284 domain names inaccessible, causing over half a million Belgians to be presented with a warning page instead of a scamm yonline shop (source). However, scammers are quick to create new sites under a different name.

How to recognise scammy online fuel shops

1. Compare the official maximum price

For fuel oil, the FPS Economy sets a maximum price each day. Suppliers are allowed to sell below this price, but the margins are small. If an online shop’s prices are 20 or 30% lower, they are selling at a loss. There is no official maximum price for pellets and firewood, but again, compare the prices from two or three other reputable suppliers.

2. Check the company number, but do not stop there

Go to the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises and look up the company number. Don’t stop there: is it the right name? Is it the right address? Does that company actually sell fuel? An online shop for fuel oil probably shouldn’t have the same number as a company selling tiles.

3. Call the salesperson on a number you look up yourself

Search for the company using a search engine, ignoring sponsored results, and use the contact details you find there, not those provided by the online seller. If the real company confirms that it owns that online shop, you’re in the right place. If the site isn’t theirs, you’ve uncovered a clone.

4. Check the site’s domain and age

Check the web address: a familiar name with an unusual domain suffix or an extra hyphen should raise suspicion. Use a service such as who.is to check when the domain was registered. If they are an ‘established supplier’, why has the website only existed for three weeks?

5. Search for reviews outside the site itself

Ignore any testimonials on the site of the online shop itself. Search for the name of the shop in combination with words such as ‘scam’ or ‘review’, and check whether the site is on the FPS Economy’s list ofclosed websites.

6. Pay attention to the payment method

If an online shop only accepts advance payments by bank transfer, especially to a foreign account, this is a red flag. Use a card with purchase protection where possible.

7. Don’t let yourself be rushed

“Only three more lots at this price.” “Offer valid until midnight.” Urgency hampers critical thinking. An honest seller has no need to rush you.

Did you fall for it?

Contact your bank immediately and have them check whether the transfer can still be stopped. At Keytrade Bank, you can call +32 2 679 90 00 for this; it’s also a simple matter to block your payment cards in the Keytrade Bank app or by calling Card Stop on +32 78 170 170.

File a police report locally, report the online shop to ConsumerConnect so the Economic Inspectorate can block the site and submit the ad or message to verdacht@safeonweb.be. The sooner you make your report, the fewer additional victims can fall for the same scam.

TIP Paying online for a supply of fuel to see you through the winter? Be sure to use a credit card. At Keytrade Bank, this also provides purchase protection insurance.

Stay safe online with Keytrade Bank

At Keytrade Bank, we make security a top priority. If your bank details have been listed on a suspicious website, your personal details have been shared with an unknown person over the phone or you have spotted an unknown payment that you didn’t make, call us immediately on +32 (0)2 679 90 00.