If you ever find yourself locked out, whether it’s your home, car or office, locksmiths are those professionals who would help you get back in. For a fact the locksmith industry is flooded with scammers who present themselves as real locksmiths over the phone or on their websites to steal your money or gain access to your property. Since emergency situations happens all the time and people need SOS help, they might not realize they’re being scammed until it’s already too late, so in order to help you guys avoid this inconvenient, here are 5 tips to quickly spot on a locksmith scammer.
How to spot a locksmith scammer by its own location
Many locksmith scammers operate throughout remote call centers to target a wide range of potential customers, usually they don’t have a specific local address and use an 800 number to seem local. If a locksmith provides an 800 number or a name that sounds too generic, they’re probably scammers. Avoid any locksmith who provides an 800 number and if they claim to be local take the time to research the company name, address and location they provide to ensure no other legit company uses the same details.
Ask for the Locksmith’s ID and check his licensees
As for today these are the15 states where locksmiths are obligate to have a license: Alabama, Texas, Nevada, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Maryland, Nebraska, California, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia.
If you live in one of those states it is on you to make sure the locksmith show you their state license before they start any work. Even if you don’t live in a state that requires a locksmith licensing, you should still ask for their ID to verify their credibility. A certified legit locksmiths will also ask for your ID as well in order to confirm that you own the car or property you want them to work on. If a locksmith can not provide their license or ID and doesn’t ask for yours as well they’re probably a scammers.
Ask for an estimate
Always ask for an estimate before hiring a locksmith because many scammers use the oldest trick in the book and offer a low price upfront as a phishing strategy, then once they arrive they increase the cost and add ridiculous hidden fees. The average locksmith service cost about $60, if a locksmith quotes a price between $15 and $40, it’s likely a scam.
Extra charges and hidden fees
Another sign to spot on a locksmith scammer is when they add extra charges once they arrive, so in order to avoid it ask about any extra fees before they come, so if a locksmith is not clear about the price then they are trying to scam you and it is best not to hire them from the beginning.
Do not let a locksmith use destructive methods
Professional trustworthy locksmiths can unlock almost any lock without the drilling as it should be only be necessary in case of dealing with high-security locks, so if a locksmith insists to drill your lock it is only their way to upsell you which is likely to be a scam.
