By RAM Tracking on 24 Jun 2025
By Michael Hoyle, Head of Account Management, RAM Tracking
Your fleet vehicles are under attack from a shameless new criminal tactic that's catching businesses off guard across the UK. Thieves are now using recovery trucks to steal vehicles right from under owners' noses and your fleet could be next.
In this article, we’ll consider the hidden costs of vehicle theft and explore how you can keep your fleet protected.
Police reports show the rise of a worrying new crime: criminals in high-visibility gear are posing as legitimate tow truck operators to steal vehicles in broad daylight. These fake recovery crews are increasingly targeting commercial cars and vans. Some are bold enough to take vehicles directly from driveways and business premises.
The stolen vehicles don't just disappear. Police believe they're transported to illegal "chop shops" where they're dismantled for valuable parts or sold for scrap.
But the criminal network is more sophisticated than simple theft. Tow gangs often drive stolen vehicles a few miles away, check for tracking devices, change number plates, and export them overseas. This makes it much harder for police to find the stolen vehicles and catch the criminals.
For one business owner whose recovery truck was stolen, the impact was devastating: "The truck is my sole income. I can claim on the insurance, but it will still put me back thousands of pounds."
This shows the real damage that vehicle theft causes to small businesses. When criminals steal a work vehicle, they're stopping people from earning money.
Immediate Expenses: Business owners often have to rent replacement vehicles at high daily rates while waiting for their insurance money, which can take weeks or months to arrive.
Lost Customers: They lose regular customers who can't wait for service to return, destroying relationships they've spent years developing.
Administrative Burden: The paperwork alone is exhausting, filling out police reports, endless phone calls with insurance companies, and searching for new equipment.
Insurance Gaps: Many owners discover too late that their insurance doesn't pay for the money they lose while unable to work, or that they'll have to pay thousands in excess fees.
Contract Penalties: Some can't complete jobs they've already been paid for, leading to penalty fees and a damaged reputation that takes years to fix.
Long-Term Impact: For small business owners who depend on one vehicle, theft doesn't just mean losing a truck - it can mean losing everything they've worked to build
What makes this crime so effective is that most people don't question it when they see someone in work clothes towing a vehicle. The thieves look official, so no one suspects they're actually stealing the vehicle. This means that your traditional security measures will no longer work.
Fleet vehicles face particular risk because they:
Often park in predictable locations during service calls
May sit unattended for extended periods
Display company branding that signals commercial value
Are not watched when parked at customer sites or overnight
The solution isn't hoping thieves will target someone else; it's gaining instant visibility and acting quickly when suspicious activity occurs around your vehicles.
When criminals check for vehicle tracking devices a few miles from the theft location, it's already too late for basic systems. You need alerts the moment unauthorised movement begins, not after thieves have had time to disable tracking or change number plates.
Our alert system is built specifically for this threat, sending instant notifications when your vehicle moves without the ignition being turned on. When your vehicle is being hauled onto a fake tow truck, you'll receive an immediate alert, even though the engine never started.
Our geofencing tool adds another layer of protection by creating virtual boundaries around your vehicles. If your van or truck is moved outside these preset areas, you'll instantly be notified. This means you'll know immediately if someone is stealing your vehicle, even if they're using professional-looking tow truck methods that fool everyone else.
Most businesses will have CCTV at their sites; however, a connected dash cams provides an extra level of protection. When fake tow operators approach your vehicles, you'll have high-definition footage of their methods, vehicle registration plates, and identities. This evidence can help you catch thieves and prevent future thefts across your entire fleet.
The faster you can alert police with real-time location data and video evidence, the higher the recovery rate. Automated incident reporting ensures authorities receive critical information within minutes, not hours after you discover a missing vehicle.
Fake tow truck scams succeed because they exploit the gap between when theft occurs and when it's discovered. By the time you realise a vehicle is missing, criminals have already checked for tracking, changed plates, and begun processing the vehicle for parts or export.
Modern fleet tracking systems remove that crucial window of opportunity entirely by providing instant alerts the moment your vehicle moves unexpectedly.
But vehicle trackers don’t just help you respond faster, they also act as a powerful deterrent. Criminals know that vehicles with tracking systems dramatically increase their risk of getting caught, so they're more likely to target unprotected vehicles instead.
Even when CCTV cameras record these thefts happening, the vehicles still disappear. This isn't because the technology failed, it's because waiting to react after a crime happens will always be too late.
Your fleet needs protection that stops threats as they’re happening, not technology that just documents the crime. With criminals becoming more sophisticated and organised, reactive security measures simply aren't enough anymore.
Ready to protect your fleet from tow truck scams? Get a quote today and discover how instant alerts and real-time tracking can protect your vehicles, maintain your operations, and give you complete peace of mind.
Stop guessing where your vehicles are. Start tracking every movement, every day.
Michael Hoyle is the Head of Account Management at RAM Tracking, where he leverages over 7 years of industry experience to drive customer success and operational excellence.
With a deep understanding of job management solutions and fleet tracking technology, Michael has established himself as a trusted leader in the telematics space.
His customer-centric approach and analytical mindset have helped countless businesses optimise operations, reduce costs, and improve efficiency.
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