Tow Truck Thief’s Scam Hauls In Cash

It was bad enough that someone stole a brand-new tow truck from Clark’s Towing. Now, the thief’s apparently using it to make money hauling cars and scamming service station owners.

On Sunday, the 1995 Dodge tow truck hauled a Honda to Hart’s Service Center on Montlake Place East in Seattle.

The truck driver, who gave his name as Bill, left the car at the station, saying it needed repairs, and collected $98.50 in towing fees from station manager Quoc Lieu before driving off. Bill told Lieu the car’s owner would reimburse the station.

But when Lieu called Clark Towing about the bill, he discovered he’d been ripped off by the smooth-talking driver.

Clark Towing said it hadn’t dispatched anyone to tow the car. Lieu said Bill left him a phony name and phone number for the car’s owner.

“I paid him cash. He fooled me,” Lieu said later. “He was so cool I didn’t get suspicious at all. God knows where it’s going to happen next.”

The truck was reported missing Thursday. Since then, cars have been towed to service stations in Seattle, Tukwila and Mercer Island without permission with a charge of $94.50 per tow, said Bethel Clark, owner of Clark’s Towing.

Clark suspects a company driver, who pulled the same scam two years ago, is responsible for the latest incidents.

Clark said the driver had made several other unauthorized tows two years ago to get money for drugs.

After those incidents the driver returned the cars and was suspended from his job while he underwent drug therapy. Thinking he was clean, Clark said he rehired the driver several months later.

Clark said he will reimburse the service stations and the car owners for their expenses.

Two years ago, the errant driver repaid the expenses out of his own pocket, and Clark said he’ll pay this time, too - with his money and his job.