SCAM: Tow Truck Edition

Imagine getting into a fender bender. Your sweet ride that you’ve cared about for so long gets dented up and your heart gets crushed. You call a tow truck and he gives you a ride to the body shop, where your baby gets brought back to tip top shape by the best mechanics. Few days to a couple weeks later the insurance handles the claim and you and your baby can journey home to live happily ever after.

This is the way it should be. Unfortunately, there’s enough unscrupulous people out there to derail this process and make your life a living nightmare. The video documents a tow truck scam occurring in Canada.

Basically it goes like this:

1. You get into an accident.
2. An unsolicited tow truck swoops in to offer you a tow.
3. The tow truck and your car goes for an unnecessarily long ride.
4. The tow truck takes you to a body shop that you’re not familiar with.
5. You get stuck with a giant towing bill.
6. The tow truck gets a kickback from the body shop for bringing in a customer.
7. The body shop charges fees for storing your car.
8. The body shop takes an unreasonably long time to fix your car.
9. The body shop battles with your insurance company and holds your car ransom.
10. The body shop gets a big check.

The tow truck and body shop crime ring starts over again.

Check out the video and study up. It is wise to get the authorities involved, but the best advice is to be informed.

Image source: supersilver2792