The locksmith scam in Melbourne is obviously worse than we thought.  Affecting residents from ALL over Australia, fake locksmiths are trying to take advantage of innocent customers.  In this video by 7 News, you’ll notice that they speak about these locksmiths not even having licences.  You should be very careful when booking your next locksmith.  Ensure that they are fully-qualified before booking them.

What is the locksmith scam?

The locksmith scam has been happening for quite a while now.  Usually when someone types in ‘cheap locksmith’ into Google, the first few results will be from the scam locksmiths.  They advertise prices far below that of standard locksmiths.  With their low call-out fee, people think they’ve scored a bargain.  They will generally be in for a rude awakening when they find out that these prices will climb.  Locksmith scam-artists have been known to charge 2, 3 and sometimes 4 times the amount that a standard professional locksmith would charge.

How to avoid the locksmith scam?

A good way to avoid the locksmith scam is to ensure that the company can be verified by their Google Reviews.  If they have a lot of differing reviews it’s usually a good sign.  Be sure to look for signs of fake reviews as companies may do this also.  You should try calling to see if you can speak with the locksmith.  Make sure the call isn’t diverted to an overseas number.  Ask them for testimonials and lastly don’t be afraid to report them if you think they’ve done something suspicious.

When will the locksmith scam end?

We are hoping very soon.  But to be honest, no-one really knows.  Every day people are devising new ways to take advantage of others.  With the internet being such a large place for people to look for a locksmith, it provides a big opportunity for more scam-artists to appear.  The best thing you could do is to leave them a negative review and report them HERE.

(Video Credit: 7 News Brisbane)