I-TEAM: Tow company calls family out of nowhere after accident

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - It sounds like a company is ready to tow your car and do that much needed repair. Turns out that company might be swooping in to take advantage of your situation.

It happened to a Toledo family that doesn’t want to see it happen to yours.

This family was happy that the repairs on their wrecked vehicle were happening so quickly. Except the person calling was someone no one was familiar with.

When Demaria Hatfield wrecked her 2023 Hyundai Elantra Tuesday, luckily the injuries were not serious, but the process to get it fixed would be. The insurance company was very helpful right away.

“Then they filed the claim and then they told us they’d get back to us,” said Laticia Holmes, Hatfield’s mother.

An adjuster would come to their home and look over the vehicle. The very next day, a call comes from someone saying they’re from Mwork, a shop on Airport Highway.

Holmes said the caller identified themself as a third party on behalf of the insurance company.

“They’re able to tell your name, the address, what happened, the date, they have all of the details,” said Holmes.

The car is towed to Airport Highway. Things look like they’re moving quickly, until the insurance company calls again.

“And says I just want to let you know I am on the way to come and do an estimate on the car,” said Holmes. “I’m in Kroger parking lot and I immediately stop and say ‘excuse me?’ I said no, you already got the car. He said, ‘No, we didn’t get the car. Remember I told you we would come out.’”

The I-TEAM tried to get answers from the company Friday but we did not get a call back. Somehow this shop got all of the accident information in just about 24 hours and was already trying to do the tow.

The family managed to get the car off the lot and to a repair shop they trust. It’s a warning for anyone talking to a company they don’t know, especially when they call you.

“I want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else because had we not acted right when my insurance adjuster called me, there’s no telling where that car would be,” said Holmes.

Toledo Police took a report from another man about this shop in February. He too said he called a call from this shop after his daughter’s accident. He said that call came on the same day as the accident and there was a dispute as well over that vehicle.

Make sure you are in constant communication with your insurance company so eventually you don’t have to be stuck with extra costs.

Latest Local News | First Alert Weather | Crime | National | 13abc Originals

Copyright 2025 WTVG. All rights reserved.