Officials of the California Department of Insurance warn the residents of Southland for a “vehicle healer” scam in which tow truck companies focus on motorists involved in traffic accidents.
In a press release on Tuesday, the departmental officials said that the scam, which drivers from large sums of money to get their vehicles back, became unbridled in South California.
“One of the scams in this case includes a tow truck that appears immediately after a collision takes place and offers to help the driver by dragging their vehicle to a bodywork company,” the release said. “Then the body shop forces the driver to pay a large amount that is usually not covered by your insurance to get your vehicle back.”
In a major study by CDI's Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Fraud Task Force, 16 people were charged in an alleged conspiracy to create fake insurance that collected almost $ 217,000 illegally.
Officials said that the same ring was charged in a similar arrangement in which vehicles were stolen under false pretensions and were delivered to the collision of California in San Bernardino.
Red flags with which drivers must be aware of a traffic accident include:
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Tow trucks that come after an accident after an accident, even if you didn't call it
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Tow Truck Driver tells the victim to which bodywork company they are going
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Tow Truck Driver informs Victim that someone will call or asks for a signature
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Tow Truck Driver asks for a ride share for the victim
Anyone who believes that they can be a target of this illegal schedule is encouraged to verify the Tow Truck Company with his insurer or wait for California Highway Patrol to confirm that they have sent the tow truck. Finally, do not sign documents until the towing car company is confirmed.
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“This kind of scam is at their most vulnerable moments at their most vulnerable moments – immediately after an accident – when they have to concentrate on their safety and the next steps, not fighting to get their vehicle back,” said insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara. “Our department is dedicated to protect Californians against fraud.”
For more information about protecting yourself or to report suspected fraud, contact the California Department of Insurance on 800-927-4357 or online on Insurance.ca.gov.
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