A Weatherford woman’s car was stolen last week. She discovered someone had taken out an insurance policy on her car and had it towed.
WEATHERFORD, Texas — Brandie Minnich’s 2006 Ford Expedition was stolen from her dirt-road neighborhood on the outskirts of Weatherford last week. She discovered the thieves had used an elaborate insurance scam to gain access to her vehicle.
“Somebody had to have seen it. Been out here for a reason at least once,” Minnich said, standing where her car was parked before it disappeared.
The theft occurred when owners of Miller’s Towing and Recovery said someone from Allstate Insurance called and requested roadside pickup. According to towing company documentation, the notes indicated the owner had “lost the key” and wanted the vehicle moved to a Whataburger off Interstate 20.
Minnich said she does not have Allstate Insurance and did not lose her keys.
“I was so bewildered because I couldn’t wrap my mind around how this happens,” she said.
By the time Minnich discovered what had happened through the towing records, her car had vanished from the Whataburger parking lot.
“Furious. Absolutely furious. I’m furious that there’s no accountability,” she said.
Allstate has not responded to inquiries about the case.
Miller’s Towing representatives said they are working with law enforcement and are familiar with this type of scam from other areas they serve in the metroplex. The company is implementing procedures to flag suspicious calls.
The scheme appears straightforward: Obtain a vehicle identification number, purchase an insurance policy, then request legitimate towing services.
“Somebody could just walk by your car in a parking lot, throw an insurance policy on it, request a tow and just take it and there’s no verification anywhere,” Minnich explained.
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. Meanwhile, Minnich is researching ways to protect others from similar theft.
“It makes me wonder what needs to be done at the state level to make sure that other Texans, and really anyone in the United States, is being protected from this theft right under their nose,” she said.
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