After surviving the fatal Eton fire, some Los Angeles County residents remained vulnerable to a second risk. The fraudulent towing company had been demanding large fees to take the vehicle and return home, county officials say.
The Etonfire, which began on January 7th near Pasadena, destroyed more than 9,400 homes and businesses, killing 17 people. Katherine Berger, chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said during the first four days of the flame, some tow truck operators had falsely claimed they were working for Altadena officials. They tow the vehicle without telling the owner where the vehicle was stored.
These companies have requested excessive fees to return the vehicles. Part of it was found in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, about an hour's drive from Los Angeles.
“I don't think it's disgusting that these fraudulent tow companies exploited fire survivors in times of distress,” Berger said. statement on monday.
Burger's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian regarding how many residents were affected.
Authorities are urging anyone who has experienced suspicious interactions with towing companies, including requesting a photo of a driver's license or claiming that they cannot find a vehicle, to report it to the Inland Empire's Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force.
“The people behind this abominable scheme must be accountable and put to justice,” Berger said. “It encourages anyone who's victimized to come forward and stops these bad actors from preying on our community.”
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The Berger announcement follows a warning from the California Department of Insurance, which states that towing companies are holding vehicles that have casualties in accidents, with the rise in fraudulent fraud.Cash Hostage”, an investigation that began before the Eton fire.
Los Angeles victims David Geringer and Ursula Nadoson I told ABC7 The towing company falsely claimed that it had been contracted by the city to remove the vehicle as part of an effort to remove the waste. The company later placed a lien on the car.
“We realized they wanted a car. It's complicated,” Knudson told ABC7. “It would be impressive if it wasn't that bad.”
Although post-fire recovery efforts are underway in Los Angeles County, the process was rock-filled. Last week, mayor Karen Bass removed fire chief Christine Crowley following criticism over the city's response to wildfires. Crawley reportedly sent 1,000 firefighters home the day the fire began.
