‘Never pay upfront,’ towing manager warns after ‘scared and frustrated’ drivers left stranded in snow in sick scheme | DQ8XF1G | 2024-01-25 08:08:01
'Never pay upfront,' towing manager warns after 'scared and frustrated' drivers left stranded in snow in sick scheme | DQ8XF1G | 2024-01-25 08:08:01
Nichole Munson, common supervisor of Munson Towing in Iowa, has stated the disturbing new developm
THE OWNER of a towing firm has warned of a brand new rip-off involving pretend Google listings that has left individuals stranded in snow.
Nichole Munson, common supervisor of Munson Towing in Iowa, has stated the disturbing new development has seen drivers in want of a tow left ready with no assist arriving.
She claims a scammer has been posting very convincing Google enterprise listings of towing corporations in the space earlier than a snowstorm hits, attracting the eyes of those who end up in want.
Individuals call the corporate and pay for providers over the telephone with a bank card, typically for lots of of dollars upfront, solely to never have a tow truck come to their help, she provides.
Munson recalled a customer being scammed out of $2,000 by this scheme, having been left on the aspect of the freeway for hours after their tractor-trailer turned caught.
After discovering a pretend itemizing of her own firm, she shortly raised the alarm.
Chris Hanssen, the towing supervisor of the company, stated that her largest concern was for the locals who're left on the aspect of the street freezing.
"What actually gets me about this, is with how low the temperatures received some nights, [the scammers] might have simply killed someone," Hanssen informed The U.S. Sun.
"As a result of if these individuals are considering they'll get a tow in 30 to 45 minutes, they're clearly going to wait of their semi-warm automotive."
The shortage of empathy and concern for human life struck a chord for both Hanssen and Munson.
"[The customers] are clearly scared and annoyed.& [The scammers are] sitting there like, 'Take a look at how a lot cash I obtained from these individuals,' whereas they're sitting within the chilly ready for assist," Hanssen stated.
The scammers have made multiple listings with pretend telephone numbers, having posed as other local towing corporations, the company alleges.
"I'm unsure the way to stop them, and that's why I'm making an attempt to alert as many people as I can," stated Munson.
"I've referred to as other towing corporations and put it on social media and the whole lot, it's so sad."
When Munson appeared on TV with KWQC, one of the reporters referred to as the pretend quantity on the itemizing and was met with an answer, displaying that as of January 17, the scammers have been nonetheless at giant.
To avoid being scammed, Munson stresses the importance of cross-checking posted info.
"Do your due diligence and verify that the quantity on the website matches the Google itemizing, as an alternative of just urgent the 'call' button on the listing, because that's what was occurring," she stated.
"In a state of emergency you shouldn't have to try this because you'd never anticipate to be scammed, however it's essential to be sure to're calling the fitting individuals."
She additionally noted that a real towing company won't ever charge clients over the telephone, as prices range depending on the severity of the rescue.
"Never pay upfront. Towing corporations won't ever take cost up front, because the state of affairs needs to be assessed earlier than cost is taken," she strengthened.
"No other towing company out here will do this, as a result of somebody may say, 'I just need a simple winching,' however in the event you're 30 ft from the street, that's not a simple winch, so a reputable towing firm will all the time assess earlier than charging a customer."
Munson added that a cautious customer can inquire about pricing, however a selected worth might be troublesome to assess.
"You'll be able to all the time ask for a quote to provide yourself a rough concept, but we'll never cost you earlier than we truly come get you," she stated.
After having seen the screenshots offered by Munson, Google was quick to take motion and remove the itemizing and take further steps to make it more durable for the scammer to resurface.
"We don't tolerate listings that misrepresent a enterprise, and are continually monitoring our platforms to combat fraud and create a protected setting for users and companies," a Google spokesperson wrote in an e mail to the U.S. Sun.&
"Our groups have eliminated the misleading listing and taken action towards the account involved."
In an effort to build trust with Google customers and ensure transparency, the corporate has been cracking down on scammers utilizing their platform to wish on weak individuals.
Google has a page with priceless info on tips on how to spot scams here, and companies can report suspicious exercise, false listings, or any info that misrepresents their business here.
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