The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) has launched a new awareness campaign, in response to a scam involving predatory tow truck drivers around Alberta.
The campaign, titled "Know Before the Tow," was launched on Dec. 16, 2024 to help raise Albertans' awareness of their rights and what to do if they are confronted by predatory tow truck drivers while stranded with a broken-down vehicle.
Predatory towing is a scam in which tow truck drivers will drive around using police or fire department scanners to find broken-down vehicles. They pressure drivers to get their vehicles towed off the road, and then hold vehicles at a private site and demand the drivers pay huge fees.
Colin Fritz, AMA’s associate vice-president of operations, says that although the scam has existed in Ontario for the last two years, it has only started making its way out west recently.
“In Alberta, for probably the last four months is where it’s really started to take shape where we’re recognizing activity in major markets. On busy roadways like the Anthony Henday, Whitemud,” Fritz said.
As for why the scam hasn’t appeared in Alberta until now, Fritz says rules and regulations put in place in Ontario have now made it difficult for scammers to operate out east.
“I’m not suggesting Ontario predatory towers are moving here; we don’t really know where they’re coming from," he said. "But I think they’re taking advantage of opportunity. People are at an emotional weak state and I think they’re seeing there’s an opportunity to take advantage.”
The campaign highlights five key rights that AMA wants drivers to know before they agree to a tow service, or if they are confronted by a predatory tower:
- You have the right to refuse unsolicited towing services;
- You have the right to choose who tows your vehicle, and where, unless otherwise directed by police;
- You have the right to access your vehicle to retrieve personal items during a storage facility’s business hours;
- You have the right to ask if the towing company receives a kickback for taking your vehicle to a particular storage facility or repair shop;
- You have the right to a quote prior to service, and an itemized invoice prior to making payment.
Fritz would also like to see a clearer reporting system for victims of this type of scam, or legislation with steeper fines put in place to prevent predatory tow truck drivers from getting access to the vehicles.
“We’re working with Calgary city council and even talking more with Edmonton around, 'Could we create something like tow zones where effectively, tow trucks cannot enter a scene unless invited by police or by the breakdown member?' And if they do, to employ extreme fines for people that do that,” he said.
Fritz says Albertans can be on the lookout for a few telltale signs they may be dealing with a predatory driver.
“There’s usually very minimal branding on the vehicle. Usually no uniforms. We’ve seen one show up in shorts before,” he said. “There’s usually a lack of branding. It’s a company you’ve never heard of. When you search them, there really is no web presence.”
AMA has a digital copy of the towing rights that members can download from their website, print, and put in their glove box. Fritz said a printed copy will be available in AMA centres “within the next week or so.”
To learn more about AMA’s "Know Before the Tow" campaign, visit their website at https://ama.ab.ca/news/know-before-the-tow.
