Safe Clear scumbags steal motorists' identities

Remember a while back when it surfaced that some Safe Clear drivers had criminal records? Well I'm shocked -- shocked! -- to learn that the towing industry still has more than its fair share of degenerate predatory criminal scumbags:

Two women from different parts of Houston became victims of identity theft and the only common link between the cases was a towing company with the city's Safe Clear program, the Local 2 Troubleshooters reported Monday.

Andrea Anderson broke down along Highway 59 near Collingsworth. A Safe Clear wrecker was dispatched.

A wrecker from Unified Auto Works towed Anderson's car to Humble. She paid the bill with her check card. Several days later, Anderson checked her bank account and found more than $600 worth of unauthorized charges, along with a list of overdraft fees. Around the time Anderson was trying to figure out who was draining her bank account, a different woman's car broke down along Interstate 10 near Lockwood. Again, a wrecker from Unified Auto Works was dispatched as part of the Safe Clear program.

The woman talked with the Troubleshooters but asked to remain anonymous. She told them she also paid Unified with her credit card. And soon after, she also got hit with hundreds of dollars in unauthorized charges.

It's very important to note that these were city-mandated tows. Merely by obeying the law and carrying out their duty as citizens, these woman made themselves vulnerable to thieves acting as agents and contractors of the City of Houston. That would be like showing up to jury duty and having the bailiff slap you in the face, or having a cop shoot out your tire after he pulls you over for speeding. Actually, that would be easier. A tire doesn't cost 600 bucks.