Latest news with #JeffKasbrick
Epoch Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
10 Edmonton Tow Truck Companies Charged With Fraud Following Police Investigation
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has charged the owners of 10 tow truck companies with fraud following an investigation into fraudulent insurance billing. EPS said that between March and May, 11 owners of 10 tow truck companies in Edmonton were charged with fraud after police learned that the companies had been billing insurance companies for services that were not provided. Police estimate that, in total between the 10 companies involved, insurance companies have been fraudulently billed more than $120,000, according to a May 21 'Fraud through direct billing to an insurance company can be especially difficult for the policy holder to notice,' said Det. Bryan Niehaus of EPS's Investigation Response Team. 'It is always best to contact your insurance provider for a complete invoice of services after using a tow truck company.' Police launched the investigation in July 2024 following reports of local tow truck companies 'demanding people to use their services at the scenes of collisions,' and allegedly inflating bills for towing services by charging drivers up to $5,000 for a standard collision tow that would usually cost a few hundred dollars. EPS has charged the owners of the following businesses with fraud: AMK Towing, Avenue Towing, Discount Towing Ltd., Edmonton Towing Services Ltd., Infinity Towing & Recovery Services Corp., My Big Tow Inc., Same Boss Towing Ltd. (formerly Super Towing Ltd.), TBT Towing Ltd., Unlimited Towing & Recovery Service Ltd., and 2652736 Alberta Inc. Police say they don't believe that these companies have any connection to one another. Related Stories 5/31/2022 3/18/2024 The business owners have been appearing in court over the month of May. Police say investigations into other tow truck companies in the city that they suspect have been involved in fraud are ongoing. Predatory Towing The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) launched a ' Reports of predatory towing in Edmonton and Calgary have been growing, AMA said, adding that these practices leave drivers to face steep fees after 'unethical' tow truck operators arrive at a collision scene and 'create a false sense of urgency to remove the vehicle.' 'Being in a collision or broken down at the roadside is stressful enough; the last thing any Albertan needs is high pressure from an unscrupulous tower,' Jeff Kasbrick, Vice-President of Advocacy and Operations at AMA, said in a statement. The provincial association says that fraudulent companies discover collision locations by listening to emergency scanners, and after pressuring drivers to use their services, vehicles are taken to 'a remote lot or shady repair shop' where they are withheld until drivers pay steep fees. AMA that vehicle owners have the right to choose who tows their vehicle and the location it is towed to. The association advises customers that, unless notified by police, they are not obligated to immediately remove their vehicle from the road. Alberta drivers also have the right to access their vehicle to retrieve personal items, ask the towing company whether it gets a kickback from the particular repair shop it intends to take the vehicle to, as well as the right to a quote before a service is provided and an invoice prior to making payment, AMA adds. 'By knowing your rights and choosing trusted providers like AMA, you can avoid unnecessary stress, costs, and uncertainty. Because the road to recovery after a collision shouldn't have to include fighting for your vehicle,' Kasbrick said. 'AMA and our roadside assistance network is proud to represent 80% of all private-passenger tows in the province, so our members can be confident that we'll always protect them—just as we have for nearly 100 years.'
CBC
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
$10,000 fine for predatory tow truck drivers considered in Calgary
Calgary city council is considering new measures aimed at protecting drivers from predatory tow trucks. Councillors are responding to situations where motorists involved in a collision are pressured by quickly arriving tow truck drivers to accept their service and clear the road, without getting a quote upfront. Drivers are then hit with sticker shock when they're charged $1,000 or more for a tow, and are sometimes barred from even accessing personal items in their vehicles. Calgary's community development committee met on Thursday and councillors voted 6-0 in favour of bringing recommendations for new bylaw amendments to the next regular council meeting for approval. The recommendations include barring tow truck drivers from coming within 200 metres of a collision on the road, unless requested by a driver involved in the crash, a police officer or a member of the Calgary Fire Department. The tow truck driver will have to demonstrate they were invited to the scene or face a $10,000 fine. Jeff Kasbrick, Alberta Motor Association vice-president of advocacy and operations, welcomes the proposed amendments, arguing predatory towing has been a growing practice within the past year in Calgary and Edmonton. "We think that not only is it important to be creating that buffer, but it's even more important to be making sure there's enough of a disincentive for operators to be breaching that buffer," Kasbrick said. "They are, in these moments of great stress and moments of great uncertainty, preying on [drivers] and creating this great sense of urgency." The problem can even lead to predatory tow trucks impeding the actions of first responders trying to assist drivers involved in the collision. Kasbrick would like to see the measures enforced more broadly, with similar penalties applied to predatory tow truck drivers across Alberta. Last year, the AMA launched the "Know Before The Tow" awareness campaign to remind drivers of their rights to request a quote upfront, choose who tows their vehicle, refuse service unless otherwise directed by police, and access personal items from their car after it's been towed. "It's not just what it is that we do through bylaw or through legislative means, but it's also about making sure that Albertans are aware that this is happening in the province and that they're empowered to stop it in its tracks," Kasbrick said. Coun. Courtney Walcott, who chairs the community development committee, said he was surprised to learn just how much the practice has taken advantage of some drivers, not just in Calgary but on a national level. "A 200-metre buffer might be enough to satisfy what's happening now, but I think it might raise some questions about what are the fines, will they be enough and will they prevent this predatory practice," said Walcott, who represents Ward 8. Jackie Richards, the Calgary director for the Towing and Recovery Association of Alberta, told council on Thursday her association supports any measure to curb "malicious practices" by rogue operators. "This conduct has created unnecessary anxiety for individuals, and it undermines the public trust in the towing industry," said Richards, who is a third-generation owner of a towing company in Calgary. To go even further, Richards suggested the city should consider seizing and impounding the offending tow truck when it arrives at the scene of a crash it shouldn't be at, to prevent the drivers from finding a way to avoid the fine and continue the practice.
