Ten Ways to Avoid Tow Truck Scams
Provided by: Scambusters.org When your car breaks down or gets damaged in a road accident, the appearance of a tow truck just when you need it most can seem like a miracle. But if you or the police didn’t summon the truck, you could be lined up for a costly scam. Imagine your car breaking down and being hauled by a tow truck to a repair shop, and then you get a bill for hundreds of dollars before work even starts on your vehicle. It has happened. It’s part of a growing scam involving unscrupulous tow truck operators and repair shops. In fact, according to the most recently available statistics — covering 2010 — the incidence of inflated towing bills almost doubled in a single year. These tow truck mavericks are opportunists who patrol freeways and other major highways and tune in to police alerts to learn about accidents and breakdowns. They turn up, often much to the relief of the car owner, and offer to take the vehicle in for repair. And before you know what’s happened, you’ve signed an authorization form and get slapped with that huge bill. Scam tow truck operators are also likely in league with…