Greg's Corner

Winter weather towing scam leaves drivers stranded

By Greg Collier

The past few weeks have blanketed a large part of the country in snow. Along with the snow came single digit and even negative temperatures, which kept snow and ice on the roads even longer. As you might expect, this has been a nightmare for drivers. Even the most experienced drivers can find themselves stuck in the snow, or stranded with a car that won’t start. This can be made even more difficult if the driver is in an area they are unfamiliar with. To make matters worse, these stranded drivers can find themselves sitting ducks for scammers.

This past week in Iowa, authorities discovered a towing scam ring. Scammers there have copied the Google listings of legitimate towing companies but have added their phone number instead. As we’ve mentioned in the past, scammers will often pay platforms like Google to have their listing placed in the search rankings above the legitimate companies. When drivers find themselves in need of a tow truck, they might call one of these fake towing companies out of desperation. The scammers collect a payment over the phone, but no tow truck ever arrives. With this kind of extreme weather, that could leave the driver and any passengers in grave danger.

However, there are a few ways to protect yourself from this scam. The best way is to sign up for a roadside assistance plan. This way, you can rely on the service to find a legitimate towing service for you. You can also find a legitimate towing company in your area and add their number to your phone in case you may need their services.

But if you’re stuck in the snow and haven’t taken precautions lie those mentioned above, there’s still hope. If a towing company wants payment up front, there’s a very good possibility they’re trying to scam you. Also, be wary of any towing company that answers your call with a generic name like ‘Towing’. Scammers like this are often imitating several different towing companies simultaneously. You may want to call the local police at their non-emergency number to see if there’s a garage or company they recommend.