One in 10 company motorists in the UK admit to hiding personal purchases among their mileage expenses, according to Company Car Driver. A total of 1,000 company drivers were asked about their fuel buying habits and many admitted to using reimbursement schemes operated by their employers to mask other purchases, including cigarettes. The company behind the research, fuel card comparison site fuelcards.co.uk, says its findings add weight to the argument that firms should ditch reimbursement schemes and opt for fuel cards instead, potentially lowering the overall cost of fuel, while virtually eradicating mileage fraud. The survey also found that:

• almost half (49 percent) of the UK workforce regularly buy fuel at the most convenient station, rather than finding the cheapest

• a further 12 percent said they sought out gas stations that offered loyalty rewards

• two-thirds (67 percent) of motorists in Wales confessed to hiding private fuel in their mileage claims at work

• one in five drivers spend up to two or more hours filling out their mileage expense forms

• another common problem contributing to company fraud was drivers ‘rounding up’ their mileage expenses claims It is thought fraud could account for 6 percent of a company’s turnover, costing a small to medium-sized business with a $10 million turnover up to $600,000, Company Car Driver reports.