Officials with the California Department of Health are warning Southland residents of “vehicle hostage” fraud, including tow truck companies targeting drivers involved in road accidents.
In a news release Tuesday, department officials said scams digging drivers out of large amounts of money to get the vehicle back are ramping in Southern California.
“One of the scams in this case involves the tow trucks appearing shortly after the collision occurs and towing the vehicle to the body shop to assist the driver,” the release said. “The body shop then forces the driver to pay a large amount of money that is not normally covered by insurance to get the vehicle back.”
In a drastic investigation by CDI’s Inland Imperial Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force, 16 people have been charged with conspiracy to create fake insurance claims that illegally collected nearly $217,000.
Officials said the same ring pretended to be wrong and the vehicle was stolen and charged with a similar scheme in which the vehicle was sent to a California crash in San Bernardino.
The following are the red flags that drivers involved in car accidents should be aware of:
A tow truck arriving after the accident does not call the tow truck driver, but tells the victim which body shop is the car, and the truck driver drives the tow truck signing the victim Notify victims of calling or asking in your hand ride for the victim
Anyone who believes he is a target of this illegal scheme should verify the tow truck company with the insured or confirm that the California highway patrol has dispatched the tow truck. I recommend it. Finally, do not sign the document until the tow trucking company has been verified.
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“This type of scam is preying on the driver at the most vulnerable moments when they need to focus on their safety and the next step rather than fighting to get the vehicle back. ” said Ricardo Lara. “Our department is committed to protecting Californians from fraud.”
For more information on how to protect yourself and report suspected fraud, contact California Department of Insurance 800-927-4357 or contact us online at Insurance. ca.gov.
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