Fake Locksmith Scam Warning As Kiwis Ripped Off For Millions

The nation’s peak body representing locksmiths is warning New Zealanders to be aware of a major scam being perpetrated by overseas criminals posing as locksmiths, which is costing unsuspecting customers potentially millions of dollars each year.

The Master Locksmiths Association is also calling on the Government to legislate so that only qualified professionals can use the name ‘locksmith’, a move that would protect consumers.

Master Locksmiths president Martin Coote said the scam targets people who have locked themselves out of their home, by quoting cheap call out fees then adding fake charges ranging from many hundreds of dollars to more than $1000.

The customer is then often refused entry to the house until they pay, something Mr Coote said was intimidating for those who are alone, including many females.

“When you do an online search for a locksmith you’ll see paid ads for so-called emergency or 24/7 locksmiths, but some of these are scammers,” he said.

“While legitimate locksmiths do emergency call-out work, they don’t sit in cars on the street waiting for the phone to ring, so be very careful when the ad focuses on 24/7 emergencies and quotes low prices.”

While scammers predominantly target Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, there has been cases in regional areas, according to the association.

Mr Coote said overseas based criminals are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for their website to appear at the top of Google searches, “so this gives an indication of how much they are making.”

He explained that the person who arrives is not only unqualified but will often smash the lock and surrounding door, costing the customer hundreds of dollars to have repaired by a genuine locksmith.

“A qualified locksmith will gain entry without damaging the lock,” he explained.

“I would urge the public to protect themselves by ensuring that the locksmith they use is only a Master Locksmith, so ask them before you book, and look for the Master Locksmith banner or vehicle on arrival,” he said.

“A Master Locksmith is a highly trained and qualified tradesperson, carries credentials and will be in the uniform of a legitimate locksmith company.”

He said while the association was working closely with law enforcement and consumer affairs investigators in Australia to combat similar scams, New Zealand authorities were lagging behind.

“The police and government can do something about this, and we want to raise awareness so that they act and the public is protected.”

The scam

• The criminals set up legitimate looking websites offering emergency, 24/7 locksmith services targeting people who have accidently locked themselves out of their home. These sites feature fake addresses and offers of low prices and quick service. They often have fake reviews. These criminals spend huge amounts of money on Google ads to ensure maximum exposure.
• Young men are recruited from overseas on a working visa and initially believe the job is legitimate. While some leave and are subject to threats from the criminal owners, many continue even after knowing that they are scamming innocent people. None of these people have any training in the locksmith trade.
• The scammers turn up in vehicles with no markings and are not wearing any uniform. While the quoted fee is usually between $35 and $120, they add fake charges that make the final bill many hundreds, and often more than a thousand dollars. They also often destroy the lock and doors.
• When the customer – often a vulnerable person in an emergency situation - questions the situation, they can refuse to let them into the house until they receive the money. Many customers report that they are too scared to report the incident, as the scammer knows where they live. Also they feel scammed but are confused about what to do or how to take the issue further.

How to spot the criminal scam

• Website listing only as 24/7 or emergency locksmiths (no legitimate locksmiths specialise in this).
• Websites that don’t look local – no address or fake address, clearly photos that are all stock images, no “about” section or mention of who runs the company.
• You will be quoted a small amount of money – usually between $35 and $120. Often the person will arrive quickly.
• The fake locksmith will not be wearing a uniform and will be driving an unmarked vehicle (all Master Locksmiths drive marked vans and wear uniforms).
• The fake locksmith will often damage the lock and do a shoddy job. The final invoice will include a multitude of fake charges and be many times higher than originally quoted.

The victims

Here are some of the NZ victims who have contacted Master Locksmiths:

• Family locked themselves out of a room and called the first locksmith that came up on an online search with a cheap call out fee. The person arrived in a normal car and charged them $450. They had no benchmark or comparison, so paid it despite thinking it was a lot. The next day they did research and realised they’d been scammed.
• An 80 year old man lost his keys and locked himself out on a Saturday night. He found an ‘urgent’ locksmith that said it was a $250 fee, but when he arrived he charged $350. He arrived in an unmarked car and wasn’t very professional. He describes feeling very panicked and said he knows he should have done more research but it was late and his son was out of town.
• Renee from Auckland locked herself out of the showroom. Her work colleagues Googled ‘locksmiths’ and went for the one at the top. The website looked legitimate and advertised as 24/7 locksmiths. Company quoted a small and reasonable call out fee and mentioned there would be another cost for fixing the lock after the call out fee, but wouldn’t give a price, saying the locksmith would know when he got to site. The person arrived in an unmarked car and just wearing high-vis. He got out a clip board, ticked some boxes and then told Renee the price of $350 which seemed very steep but he told her it was a tricky lock. He demanded she pay only on EFTPOS. Afterwards she felt she had been ripped off, so called a legitimate locksmith who told her what she should have paid.

To avoid being scammed

The only way to be sure you are engaging a qualified Master Locksmith is to look for a locksmith at https://www.findamasterlocksmith.co.nz

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