Nebraska gas stations trying to cheat customers by selling alcohol-blended gas as regular unleaded will be prosecuted, Attorney General Jon Bruning said Monday.

“Certainly, I would ask Nebraskans to be patient as we investigate these claims, but rest assured we’re going to make sure people play by the rules,”Bruning said in a statement.

The administrator for the Nebraska Department of Weights and Measures told the North Platte Telegraph last week his agency has been more aggressive about testing stations across the state to see if customers are getting what they paid for.

And it’s found three to four stations a week trying to cheat customers.

Steve Malone said that’s more than anticipated.

The most common trick is for a station to have alcohol in fuel advertised as having no alcohol, Malone said.

Violating stations are charging 5 to 10 cents a gallon more for that gas when it is basically the same as the less-expensive ethanol.

Those stations have their pumps shut down until they correct the problem. Then they are forced to pump out the incorrect product and substitute the correct product, Malone told the Telegraph.

The inspector also asks  for six months of sales receipts to send to the attorney general.

In February, a North Platte Shell Timesaver station came under scrutiny when it was found to have a higher concentration of ethanol in its advertised E-10 pumps.

An investigation of the violations was under way and no more details would be immediately released, said Bobbie Kriz-Wickham, spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture, which oversees Weights and Measures.

The department is cooperating with the attorney general’s office, she said.

The department would not release the names of the businesses in violation.

Bruning said gas prices are high and people ought to get what they pay for.

People who think they’ve been victims of a gas scam should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, (800) 727-6432 or www.ago.ne.gov.