False Business Offering ToyotaCare — Here's Where I Knew I Was Scammed

A recent Reddit r/Toyota forum discussion reveals two interesting scam attempts, one of which was attempted on me last year.

Toyota Owner's Scam Story

According to the OP of the post titled "Please be Aware — False Business Offering ToyotaCare":

"Learn from me.

About 5 days ago, I received a call to renew my ToyotaCare, which had ended on June 6th, 2025. I was gifted a 2023 Hybrid SE that I have about 5,090 miles on currently. So fast forward to the call - everything sounds absolutely legitimate.

They're at first offering a higher plan around $200 plus bucks a month, I immediately say "no". The employee on the phone then asks if I have family that has served, which I say "yes". He offers a discounted price of $119 a month for the basic ToyotaCare service.

At that point, I am transferred to the department where you essentially pay with your card. I gave the required information, and then they followed up by saying a document would come in the mail....5 days later, nothing. I decided to call my local Service department. I decided to drive in.

Here's where I knew I was scammed:

The employee at the my local Toyota service center asked me for my information, car model etc. from which he was able to see that the only warranty Toyota care I had ended on the 6th of June, and had indeed not been re-instated.

At that point, I decided to call my bank. Me and an employee had a loooooong chat, a good one though. We verified that the business was indeed a fraudulent auto care company out of California with a 2 out of 5 BBB rating. Also! The employee also knew that "Toyota Care" usually shows up on your card during a transaction, not "Auto Care".

This is fraud. If I had the funds to take them to court, I would. If I could do anything related to making them literally PAY for how they tricked me, I would without a freaking shadow of a doubt.

This was new for me and very much a learning experience.

But screw them. Screw that company. Really wish I could take some action against them."

Thread Post Responses are Correct

Thread responses show that this is a common problem:

This is 2025. Any communication that you receive, be it a call or an email or a chat request on your personal or work profile, that you were NOT EXPECTING is fraud almost every time. This should be common knowledge. Things have gotten even worse because now people can use AI to perform realistic scam at scale. ―esalman

Just got a call to renew warranty on my 21 RAV4. Here's where I knew it was a scam, I have a 10y/100k from Toyota. So I proceeded to give the gentleman VIN number for my old CRV and insisted they extend the warranty for another 10 years for a 20 year old car. They hung up. ―nsingh101

I gave myself a rule to never give personal info, especially financial info, on a phone call that I didn't initiate, unless I know the person on the other side. If I want to continue a transaction, I ask for a call back number and other information, hang up, and research who is calling. ―whereisyourwaifunow

They Tried Scamming Me

The thread post from whereisyourwaifunow offers the correct advice on how to avoid falling for a similar scam.

Last year, just a few weeks after we bought our 2024 Toyota Rav4, I received a text message warning me that I was approaching the deadline of no longer having ToyotaCare on our new vehicle.

The text showed a link that consisted of an odd assortment of digits and letters. I ignored it, thinking "scam" right away, and deleted it.

A week later, I got a voicemail message with essentially the same warning.

I then called the Toyota salesman who sold us the Rav4 and asked him if the extended warranty we purchased had gone through or if there was a problem and the reason why I was (supposedly) receiving messages from Toyota.

After checking his computer, he told me that all was good and he did not know why someone from Toyota was trying to reach me about my warranty coverage.

I thanked him and chalked it up to another scam attempt.

Military Service Family Member Discount Scam

As a former military member, I occasionally benefit from discounted services, such as a free reusable pass to all U.S. National Parks.

On occasion, I have used a Military Service discount on auto insurance when it was applicable.

Unfortunately, however, Military Service discounts or Military Service family member discounts are also used to scam the public into accepting a reduced fee, such as the OP was tricked with.

Here's the best sign that this is a scam should you be offered one: EVERY Military Service discount offer I've seen that was legitimate required a copy of your military DD Form 214 discharge papers before the discount was applied.

The DD214, or DD Form 214, is a crucial document for U.S. military service members. It's officially titled "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty" and is issued upon retirement, separation, or discharge from active duty in the Armed Forces. The DD214 serves as official proof of military service and records key details like dates of service, rank, awards, and the type of discharge. It's essential for accessing various veteran benefits and services." ―DD214: What You Need to Know (Military.com)

As an aside, if you are former military and cannot find the original paperwork, the government will supply you with a copy upon request. Be sure to use the dot Gov website, which is free. Avoid any site that offers to obtain it for you without delay or inconvenience for a price, as there is always the risk of faked paperwork that appears to be the real thing.

ToyotaCare Explained

The best way to protect yourself from similar automotive-related scams is to be knowledgeable about Toyota's ToyotaCare program.

Here is an informative video from a Toyota car dealer on what you need to know to take some of the mystery and misinformation that clouds the picture of what it is and what you get.

ToyotaCare: What is it? How to use it? What qualifies?

For additional articles focused on Toyota-related scams, here are two titled "Toyota Tacoma Repair Scam… or Not?" and "Toyota Dealer Scams Himself into Prison".

COMING UP NEXT: Toyota Will Not Honor Warranty―The Driver-Side Airbag's Plastic Trim Had Come Off. When I Brought It to Toyota, They Checked It and Said There Was an Additional Wire in the Wire Harness Near the Airbag, So They Wouldn't Offer the Warranty

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

Image Source: Deposit Photos