Crime is everywhere and all around us. Not all crime is requires the use of stun guns or pepper spray to thwart a potential assault or robbery. Some crimes are perpetrated by white collar or blue collar people who take advantage of others when they least expect it.

Unscrupulous tow truck drivers are towing away more than illegally parked vehicles in towing scams.

Tow truck drivers are like cabbies. They are hardworking individuals out to make an honest buck. They will be there whenever you need them. They come to take away your car whenever your car breaks down. Outside of this invaluable service, tow truck drivers also clear the city streets and private parking lots of illegally parked cars. Parking is a huge demand for customers who patronize businesses. No doubt, business owners will need available spaces into which their customers can park. However, illegal parking can put a dent into a business owner's pocketbook if there is no place to park.

As one can plainly see, towing is a legitimate business that services the needs of the customer. So what is all this talk about a towing scam called "bandit towing?"

"Bandit" tow truck drivers are black hat operators who make it a practice to monitor privately owned parking lots in order to tow away cars whose owners are not patronizing businesses associated with that lot. In many instances, the bandit tow truck driver ignores the fact that the car's owner does patronize a business associated with the lot before going to another business.

If you have ever been a victim of the crime of "bandit" towing, keep these facts in mind: The tow truck driver does not have a legal lien on your car until it is in transit on a public highway.

- If your vehicle is already mounted on a tow truck but is still in the parking lot, the crooked tow truck operator ask you for half of what an official police impound lot would charge for towing.

- If you refuse or do not have the means to pay the requested amount, the issue becomes a civil matter, and the tow truck operator must release your car.

- If the crooked tow truck operator leaves the parking lot with your car because you could not pay the requested amount, then the tow truck operator is in violation of the law. He is taking a vehicle without the owner's consent. Check the laws in your state because those laws may protect you from unscrupulous tow truck drivers.

Here are some classic towing schemes:

1. In some schemes, car repair or car maintenance shops are ripped off by con artists posing as tow truck operators. They call the shops telling them that they are bringing in a car for repairs or services. The con artist performs the required paperwork then hands the car repair owner or employee the keys. The business they pays the con artist the towing fee thinking they will be re-imbursed the money. Only there is no car being towed and the keys are just random keys.

2. In many places, there are laws against tow truck drivers who drive around looking for parking violations so that they can tow cars away. The towing company circumvents this obstacle by having somebody else do the looking. Some of the time, the same person who owns the towing company owns the business actively in search of cars to tow. This is perfectly legal in many places believe it or not. To make things worse, these crooked towing companies target low-income housing and apartment complexes.

3. Some bandit tow truck operators profile vehicles for the best chance at successfully earning a buck. They ignore old, beat up vehicles because their owners are usually low-income individuals who might not be able to afford the impound fees. If that is the case, the towing company might have to deal with local authorities to have the vehicle disposed of, and the car may take up valuable parking space. They also shy away from expensive cars such as Lamborhini, Porsche, and BMW because of the possibility of damaging the vehicle during a tow and risking a lawsuit. This leaves everybody in the middle a potential mark with Japanese cars topping the favorites list.

4. Some of the time, a crooked tow truck operator will insist that your vehicle be towed to "his" shop for services. Do NOT fall for this. You have every right to have your car towed to wherever you want. If they will not do this, then try to find somebody else to tow your car where you want it to go.


How to Avoid Crooked Towing Schemes

1. Know the local laws regarding towing.

2. Do not leave the property of the business where your car is parked. If a bandit tow truck operator is eying that particular parking lot, your car could be towed in a matter of minutes.

3. If you believe you are a victim of towing fraud, take the time to fill out a police report. If you just let it slide, you are not only out a few hundred dollars, but the crooked tower can find another victim to prey on. Therefore, do your civic duty to fight these crimes, and get a police report filed right away.

Fabiola Castillo is an online marketer for the website NinjaCOPS.com. This virtual store specializes in personal defense products where you can buy pepper spray, kubaton keychains, wireless hidden cameras, nunchaku technique videos, Taser stun guns, expandable steel batons, and many other home security products.