Three tow trucks appeared out of nowhere the minute I was in a car crash – I refused to hand it over after strange calls

A CAR owner has complained that she nearly got scammed by towers she claims are running a scheme on vulnerable drivers.

The Southern California woman stressed that she was a victim of a multi- vehicle , hit-and-run collision when multiple unsolicited tow trucks arrived wanting to tow her car.

NBC LA

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NBC LA

After lots of confusion and unsolicited calls, the police showed up to the scene of the crash and let the driver know she had been targeted by a towing scheme.

The first person who approached the driver Angelina was a man who had pulled over and claimed to see the awful crash she was involved in, local NBC affiliate KNBC reported.

Because of the unsettling nature of the situation, Angelina chose not to disclose her last name.

“The guy was like, ‘I saw the car. I wanted to get your information, so I can be a witness,'” she recalled.

After giving her contact details to the guy, she said a number of people started to call her.

She said they were claiming to be a representative from a roadside assistance program.

Angelina said the car she was driving was not under any roadside assistance program.

“(The caller) said, ‘We are sending an emergency tow. We’ll take it to an insurance-approved body shop,'” the driver told KNBC.

She even said that, when she asked where the body shop would be located, the person could not give her an answer.

The first tow truck that came was driven by an operator who insisted on taking her car.

But, they reportedly didn’t have truck insurance.

Angelina explained that one of the two drivers involved in the crash rushed off once the cops showed up at the scene.

The car owner said they left as the officer asked them for their license and insurance information.

“This is a tow scam,” an officer admitted to her.

What to do if your car is towed

Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.

If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.

Steps to take when your car is towed:

• Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
• Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
• Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
• Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.

If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:

• Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
• Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
• Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
• Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
• Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
• Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.

Source: Oregon Department of Justice , National General , Rak Law Firm

“If you had let them take your car right now, you most likely wouldn’t have it anymore. It would end up in a junkyard or they would hold it for ransom.”

Investigating done by KNBC has revealed predatory towing practices going on in which towing businesses find out about accidents and prey on drivers.

They often find out about local crashes by listening to police scanners, showing up and then claiming to have been dispatched by auto insurers somewhat like Angelina experienced.

From there, the scam involves them then pressuring people into allowing their cars to be towed.

Drivers all over the US may face odd situations in which they may be targeted by similar towing scams.

A company that went viral online for trying to tow a vehicle in traffic has recently been accused of a second insurance fraud scam in a new case.

The owner of the towing business was accused of staging an accident and falsifying documents.