Dirty Towing Scam

Got caught up in one of these in the mid-90s. Came back to my car after a night out in Hull and it was gone. Called the police and they said it was a scam being run by a tow company and the Gatineau police. They actually told me that on the phone. I went to the tow truck place in Gatineau and they wanted $300. As I argued, several more groups of dudes came in to get their cars as well. The guy kept saying he would call the police, and we kept telling him to do that. Then at a certain point I realized there were 8 of us in the office and four guys standing outside. Half the guys were drunk from the bar. "Hey, there are enough of us here that we can just lift the car blocking the entrance to the depot and move it aside." We all filed out and began to plan the move, at which point the tow truck guy came out, moved the car for us, and told us to get our cars and get the fuck out. I did that, but as I drove away some of the tougher dudes were still there looking like they were getting ready to knock the tow truck guy around a bit.