Beware tow-truck drivers in hi-viz ... they could be stealing your car
BRAZEN thieves have adopted a new tactic to steal cars: dressing up in highvisibility jackets and using tow trucks to make off with high-end vehicles.
Security experts are reporting an ‘alarming’ rise in daylight thefts where criminals make themselves appear legitimate to any passers-by or neighbours.
Scotland Yard is even suggesting motorists should use car parks with height-restricted entrances to keep safe from bogus tow trucks. official advice posted online by police warns motorists: ‘Watch for illegal tow trucks. Thieves often attempt to lift vehicles from the street, literally. ‘So, if you see a tow-away crew acting suspiciously – especially if their vehicle isn’t branded or if they’re not in uniform – then please report it immediately. Car parks with height-restricted entrances help prevent illegal tow trucks and removal vehicles.
‘And fitting a That cham rated category 1 or 2 alarm system with tracking, immobilisation, anti-grab and movement sensors can help protect and trace your vehicle.’
Bryn Brooker, of dash- cam firm Next base, told The Times that car thieves were sophisti vehicle cated professionals targeting cars worth tens of thousands of pounds.
He added: ‘These criminals can use a tow truck to take a they are after out of a highly visible area to somewhere else, where they can strip it for parts.
‘It allows them to test out whether their victim has tracking on their car. It also reduces their chances of being caught. After all, who questions a couple of guys in highviz towing a car?’ Vehicle theft has risen 86 per cent since 2014 – with 130,270 cars stolen in England and Wales last year, office for National Statistics figures show. Car insurance has shot up accordingly, to a record average of £924 annually, according to comparison website Confused.com.
Peter Lewington, 64, a retired engineering firm director from Nottingham, said he fell victim to a bogus tow-truck team on a visit to London for a football match.
Fortunately mr Lewington had had a car tracker installed and retrieved his vehicle immediately. He said: ‘ We opened the app and saw it was less than half a mile away.’
‘Stripping it for parts’