Fake Breakdown Cover and Roadside Assistance Scams via Phone Calls
How fraudulent callers impersonate roadside assistance providers to collect premiums for policies that do not exist or services that will never be rendered.
Part of: Fake Breakdown Cover and Roadside Assistance Scam
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
Breakdown cover and roadside assistance are services that most drivers hope they will never need — which makes them easy to ignore once purchased and difficult to verify until a crisis occurs. Phone-based scams in this category exploit drivers' awareness that legitimate providers regularly call with renewal offers, allowing fraudsters to blend their pitches into expected communication patterns.
The calls may impersonate major national breakdown organisations or present as independent brokers offering comparable coverage at a lower rate. Victims pay a premium and receive either no documentation, fake documentation, or a policy from a non-existent underwriter. The deception typically surfaces only when the driver calls for assistance and discovers no coverage exists.
How this scam works on phone calls
A caller presents as representing a well-known breakdown-cover organisation or an independent broker, explaining that a special rate is available for a limited time. The pitch may reference your current or former provider and suggest the call relates to your renewal — even if you have no existing policy with that organisation.
Payment is requested by card over the phone. After payment, a confirmation email may arrive from a domain that resembles but does not match the real provider, and a policy document may be sent that looks authentic but references a non-existent underwriter or claims reference number. When the driver eventually needs assistance, the real organisation has no record of the policy, and the calling company and payment number are no longer reachable.
In roadside variants, a person posing as a patrol officer or affiliated technician approaches a driver who has genuinely broken down, offers to help, and requests payment — sometimes by card through a mobile terminal — for services rendered before disappearing with the funds.
Common red flags
- Caller references your 'current policy' without you confirming any existing coverage
- Offer is significantly cheaper than official rates from recognised providers
- Caller requests card payment over the phone with no option for online purchase through a verified website
- Confirmation email comes from a domain that does not exactly match the provider's official website
- Policy documents reference an underwriter or claims line that cannot be independently verified
- Caller discourages you from verifying by calling the provider's official number before paying
How to protect yourself
- Hang up and call the provider's official number — found through their official website, not a number provided by the caller — to verify whether the offer is genuine
- Purchase breakdown cover directly through providers' official websites rather than over the phone with unsolicited callers
- Save your provider's official membership or claims number in your phone so you can verify coverage quickly when needed
- Check the underwriter and policy terms on any document provided before assuming coverage exists
- Use a credit card for breakdown-cover purchases to maintain chargeback rights if the product proves fraudulent
How to report it
- Report to Action Fraud (UK) at actionfraud.police.uk or the FTC (US) at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Report the caller's number to your national telecommunications regulator
- Notify the legitimate breakdown provider being impersonated so they can warn their customers
- Contact your card issuer to initiate a chargeback if you paid for a policy that does not exist
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if my breakdown cover is genuine?
Call the membership or customer-service number on the provider's official website — not a number from documents sent after a phone sale — and ask them to confirm your policy details and claims line.
What should I do if I am stranded and a stranger offers to help for payment?
Legitimate roadside patrol officers from major organisations do not ask for on-the-spot payment. Call your provider's official number and wait for their assistance. If approached by someone requesting payment, note their vehicle registration and contact police.