A tow truck scam usually starts the same way: a truck nobody called shows up at a crash. The driver offers to help, gets a signature, and takes the car. Days later the owner learns it is being held for a bill in the hundreds or thousands. The insurance industry calls this bandit towing or predatory towing.
The fix is simple. Only let your car go with a company that you, your insurer or the police called. This guide covers the warning signs, what to say at the scene, and the Wichita and Kansas rules on your side.
What Is a Bandit Tow?
AAA describes it this way on its bandit tow advisory: predatory or bandit towing is when a tow operator charges outrageous fees, holds vehicles hostage and uses deceptive tactics to extort money from drivers.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau has warned about the pattern for years. In a 2020 alert, it said drivers shaken by a crash are pressured into signing blank authorization forms. Charges are then added for services that were never done or never needed. Some operators work with body shops to run the bill up. The Bureau said victims lose hundreds to thousands of dollars getting their vehicles back.
7 Warning Signs of a Tow Truck Scam
1. Nobody called them
This is the big one. A truck that appears within minutes of a crash, before you or the officer has called anyone, was not sent for you. Maryland’s insurance regulator lists uninvited arrival as the first red flag.
2. Pressure to decide right now
“We have to move it now.” “Police told us to take it.” A real operator can wait while you call your insurer or ask the officer.
3. No price in writing
The Bureau’s advice is to demand printed pricing before you authorize a tow. If the driver will not give a total, or says “we will work it out later,” stop there.
4. A blank or unreadable form
Never sign a form with empty lines for the price, the destination or the storage rate. A signature on a blank form can be turned into permission for almost anything.
5. The truck and the paperwork do not match
Check that the company name on the truck door matches the name on the form. If the truck has no markings at all, ask for identification.
6. Questions about your insurance or your lender
A tow driver needs your location and your destination. The Bureau says not to give insurance or lender information to an operator you did not call.
7. Vague answers about where the car is going
You should know the exact address before the car leaves. Be careful if the driver pushes one body shop you have never heard of, or will not name the storage lot.
How to Stop a Tow Truck Scam at the Scene
- Call 911 if there are injuries or the cars are blocking traffic.
- Decide who tows. Call a company you choose, call your insurer’s roadside line, or let the officer call from the city list.
- Turn away any truck you did not call. “No thanks, my tow is on the way” is enough.
- If a driver will not leave or gets pushy, tell the officer. The Bureau notes that any legitimate tow operator will satisfy your concerns.
- Get the price, the destination and the company name in writing before the car is hooked up.
- Take photos of the truck, its plate, the driver’s paperwork and your car.
- Take your things. Phone, wallet, keys, garage opener, medicine and registration.
How Wichita’s Rules Help
We have not seen data showing bandit towing is common here, and local rules make the classic version harder to pull off.
- Police control the scene. Under Wichita Police Department policy, a crash tow goes to the company the owner requests or to the next company on the city’s rotation list. A truck that just shows up is neither. See choosing your own tow company after an accident.
- Tow companies need a state certificate. K.S.A. 66-1330 requires wrecker and towing services to hold a certificate from the Kansas Corporation Commission.
- Storage fees need written notice. Under K.S.A. 8-1103, a tow company must give the driver written notice that storage will be charged, or its lien for storage is not valid.
- Your car cannot leave the state. The same statute bars towing a vehicle to a location outside Kansas without consent.
- Tows you did not ask for have price rules. See consent and non consent tows in Kansas.
The warning signs of a tow truck scam still matter. Pressure tactics can show up anywhere, and Wichita drivers travel to cities where the problem is well documented.
If Your Car Is Already Being Held
- Find out who has it and where. Start with how to find your towed car in Wichita.
- Call your insurer the same day. If there is a claim on the crash, the adjuster deals with tow yards all the time and may move the car for you.
- Ask for an itemized bill. Every charge on its own line, with dates.
- Get the car out quickly. Storage is charged by the day. See moving a car from a tow yard to a body shop.
- Dispute what is wrong. Follow the steps in how to dispute a towing bill in Wichita.
- Report it. The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division handles deceptive trade practices and fraud. Its number is 316-660-3700. Tell the police too if you believe a crime took place.
What a Normal Tow Looks Like
| Normal tow | Tow truck scam | |
|---|---|---|
| Who called | You, your insurer or the police | Nobody |
| Price | Total given before the hook up | “We will figure it out later” |
| Paperwork | Filled in, with the company name | Blank lines or no copy for you |
| Truck | Marked with the company name and number | Unmarked, or the name does not match |
| Destination | The address you chose | A lot or shop they chose |
| Your belongings | You take them with you | Access refused later |
Questions About a Tow Truck Scam
Can I refuse a tow truck at a crash scene?
Yes. If you did not call it and the officer did not call it, you can say no.
What if the officer called the tow?
Then it came from the city’s list, and that is a normal police tow. You can still ask for the price sheet and where the car is going.
How do I check a tow company?
Look for a marked truck, a local address, a working phone number and reviews under the same name. Ask if the company holds a Kansas Corporation Commission certificate.
Is a high bill always a scam?
No. Heavy recovery work, long distances and many days of storage add up. A scam involves deception: a tow you did not approve, charges for work not done or a refusal to release the car. If you are unsure, compare the bill to how towing is normally priced in Wichita.
Choose Your Tow Before You Need It
The best defense against a tow truck scam is knowing who you would call. Save Miller’s Towing & Recovery in your phone: 316-351-4754. We are a local tow company in Wichita, KS with a yard at 4309 S Broadway and marked trucks, and you get the price before we hook up.