Brandie Minnich’s 2006 Ford Expedition vanished from her quiet dirt-road neighborhood near Weatherford last week in a way that sounds straight out of a crime drama.
Someone used an insurance scam to trick a towing company into hauling off her vehicle, and she had no idea it was happening until it was too late.
Here’s how it went down: Miller’s Towing and Recovery got a call from someone claiming to be with Allstate Insurance. The caller stated that the owner had lost the keys and wanted the vehicle relocated to a nearby Whataburger off Interstate 20.
However, Minnich neither lost her keys nor does she have Allstate coverage. When she checked the towing records, she found her SUV had been taken without her consent.
This scam isn’t new. It works by someone obtaining a vehicle identification number, purchasing a fake insurance policy, and then ordering a tow under false pretenses. The towing company, following the request, picks up the car, and by the time anyone realizes what happened, the vehicle has disappeared.
Miller’s Towing is now working closely with law enforcement and adding steps to flag suspicious calls, but for Minnich, the frustration is real. She’s angry about the lack of accountability and worried this could happen to anyone. The Parker County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, and Minnich is pushing for better protections at the state level to stop thieves from exploiting loopholes like this.
For residents in Weatherford and beyond, this story serves as a reminder to stay vigilant. Even a simple phone call can lead to a complex scam, and protecting your vehicle might take more than just locking the doors.
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