What started as a fender bender turned into a full-blown nightmare for Brittany Williams, who says a man posing as a police-dispatched tow operator whisked her car away, then demanded $3,000 in cash to get it back. Williams recorded a video at the tow yard of a man calmly counting the money and ultimately handing over the cash to retrieve her vehicle. The ordeal has left her struggling to get to her kidney dialysis appointments while investigators work to figure out who took her car and where he took it.
Williams says the whole thing seemed routine at first. She signed a towing receipt at the scene, only to discover later that the phone number on the bill was disconnected. The address on the invoice, she says, led not to a legitimate business but to railroad tracks in South Los Angeles. As reported by ABC7, the tow yard later told her it would cost $6,000 to fix the car and $3,000 to release it. She paid the $3,000 in cash to get the car out. Investigators are now digging into the case while authorities warn that this kind of roadside shakedown is all too common on Southern California highways.
LAPD Lt. Scott Moffitt told ABC7 that fake tow drivers often lurk on police scanners, racing to crash scenes to scoop up confused drivers who just want help and a way home. He urged motorists not to sign blank invoices or tow orders and reminded drivers that any tow operator working within the city of Los Angeles must be registered with the Police Commission. If you feel pressured, police say you should photograph the tow truck, its license plate, and the driver's permit instead of rushing into a signature or a cash deal on the spot.
State warning and recent probes
In February 2025, the California Department of Insurance issued a public-service warning about rising "vehicle hostage" schemes in which cars are effectively held prisoner until owners cough up steep fees. The Los Angeles Times has also documented related thefts across Southern California, including cases where unlabeled tow trucks hauled cars away from driveways or accident scenes and left stunned owners scrambling to track them down.
How to protect yourself and where to report it
Officials say that if an unsolicited tow truck suddenly appears and offers help, you should ask to see the driver's Board of Police Commissioners permit, snap photos of the truck and license plate, and call 911 rather than handing over keys or cash. In the City of Los Angeles, complaints can be filed with the Police Commission's Commission Investigation Division or through the tow-truck complaint hotline. The commission oversees Official Police Garages and can investigate predatory operators. Victims can also report suspected insurance fraud to the California Department of Insurance for follow-up.
Williams says she wants her story out so other drivers do not get caught in the same trap, and police are urging anyone with dash-cam or smartphone video of similar incidents to come forward. Investigators are still trying to identify the driver and the tow yard listed on the invoice.
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