Fraudulent tow companies scam victims of California Eaton fires

Scheme operators take cars of LA county residents and demand hefty fees for their return, county officials say

After surviving the deadly Eaton fire, some Los Angeles county residents were left vulnerable to a second danger: fraudulent towing companies that took their vehicles and were demanding hefty fees for their return, county officials say.

The Eaton fire, which started on 7 January near Pasadena, razed more than 9,400 homes and businesses and left 17 people dead. Kathryn Barger, chair of the Los Angeles county board of supervisors, said that during the first four days of the blaze, some tow truck operators were falsely claiming to be working for Altadena officials. They towed vehicles without telling owners where the cars were being stored.