I had a guy approach me at a gas station once.
He asked for $5 to put gas in his car.
I said I will fill up your car IF you tell the clerk what pump you are on.
He followed me in to the store. I paid for my gas and his.
He thanked me profusely.
I was weary at first too. I figured he wanted the money for drugs/alcohol. Maybe he drove to the liquor store after that.
We had this happen to us as well - a woman approached us in Central California at a gas station in the blazing heat, said she’d run out of gas and had no money. My husband walked to the car and saw there was an elderly man sitting in the front seat.
WE had the car pull around to the pump and we filled it from there.