Loco Hot Deals – Complicit in Predatory Towing Scam – Extorted Me for $60 in Cash with Police Indifference Providence Rhode Island

On Friday, July 25, 2025, I visited a discount store called Loco Hot Deals, located at 395 Admiral St, Providence, RI 02908, after my wife saw an ad promoting Amazon clearance deals.

I parked in what appeared to be the store’s own parking lot, which was already full of other customer vehicles. I calmly entered the store, and not even a minute later, a security guard approached me and said, “They're taking your car.” I was shocked at how quickly he identified it as my vehicle—almost like it was planned.

When I ran outside, two aggressive men were already near my car, demanding $60 in cash, or they would tow it immediately. I told them I’d move it right away, but they refused and said it was “too late.” When I started calling the police, they increased the fee to $120, saying it was because I was calling the cops.

Once the police arrived, instead of protecting me, they took the side of the two men, saying it was a “civil matter” and I had to pay. Feeling pressured and helpless, I paid the $60 in cash. At the same time, they were also extorting another man, a Spanish-speaking customer, and took $60 from him too, without explaining anything.

After the incident, I returned to the store to question the security guard. He quickly became hostile and told me the store had “nothing to do with it” and refused to give me the name of the manager or owner. This gave me the impression that this is a regular scam happening right in front of the store, likely with their knowledge or participation.

I then went straight to the Providence Police Department to file a report, but the female desk officer refused to take it, telling me the towing was “legal.” I gave her an example — “So anyone can tow cars from a business parking lot and demand cash?” — and she told me again there was nothing they could do. When I asked for a supervisor, a man standing next to her (who claimed to be both sergeant and captain) shouted, “She already told you!”

Only when they noticed I was wearing a body camera did they reluctantly write a very short report — only 3 or 4 lines — just so I could leave with a report number.

This is not just bad business — this is organized extortion, likely involving the store and the towing company and tolerated by the police. I have video evidence of the incident, and I believe they are preying on people who don’t know how to fight back, especially non-English speakers.

I’m sharing this story to warn others:

• Avoid Loco Hot Deals at 395 Admiral St, Providence, RI 02908.

• Don’t fall for the Amazon clearance ad scam.

• Be cautious about towing extortion scams in Providence.

• Record everything.

• Don’t assume the police will help.