'It's a scam': Aussies warned as locksmith industry infiltrated by dodgy groups

Aussies are being urged to do their research due to a rise in dodgy locksmiths who lure clients with cheap callout fees before scamming them for hundreds.

Two images of international student accomodation in Melbourne. Left: A man using a took to pull open a door. Right: Close up of the broken door.
An international student was charged over $2,300 after calling a locksmith who allegedly destroyed their front door. Source: Supplied

A nationwide alert has been issued about a scam costing Aussies hundreds of dollars. It targets customers in a particularly vulnerable moment, when they’re locked out of their homes.

Master Locksmiths, a guild representing professionals in the industry, has warned online advertisements offering cheap $50 callouts are exactly what they appear to be — too good to be true. That fee is simply to attend the site, with customers then forced to pay hundreds or in some cases thousands of dollars to actually pick the lock and open the door.

The problem is seeing some of the nation's most vulnerable people being ripped off, and is also creating wastage that's bad for the environment.

John Ellis trained for three years in the United Kingdom before he was allowed to complete the locksmith exam. Today he runs the professional service Locksmith and Barrel in Melbourne’s west, and is often called out to clean up after unqualified scammers have destroyed or damaged locks.

“There are a lot listed, but if you check the reviews you’ll see it’s a scam. They come and go. People get wise to them, and then they change their name and come back,” Ellis told Yahoo News.

Professional locksmith John Ellis working on keys in the back of his van.
Professional locksmith John Ellis trained for three years before he was ready to undertake his guild exam. Source: Supplied

“We've been to many a job where they've failed to open the door, where they've drilled in the wrong place. They’re not trained locksmiths and that’s the problem.”

He temporarily employed one of the scammers, who confessed to being an untrained backpacker. But he quickly left the business because Ellis couldn’t pay him the exorbitant commission he was used to receiving.

“They’re on commission so the more they charge the more they get. That means they try and charge as much as possible,” he said.

When Yahoo News attempted to contact one of the services on the phone, an operator answered at an overseas-based call centre. She appeared to have little knowledge of the industry, but offered to send out a locksmith to help, and called back several times after she was advised the service wouldn't be needed.

Two images of a broken lock.
While professionals will recycle pins and other lock components, scammers will simply bin them. Source: Supplied

President of the Master Locksmiths Association Martin Coote said if the scammers do manage to pick a lock, they’ll often use “standover tactics” and refuse entry until the “fake charges” have been paid.

“When you do an online search for a locksmith you’ll immediately see paid ads for so-called emergency or 24/7 locksmiths, but Australians will be shocked to know that these are scammers,” he said. “No legitimate locksmith specialises in 24/7 emergencies or sits in cars on the street waiting for the phone to ring.”

Master Locksmiths alleges overseas-based criminal groups spend up to $150,000 a month to ensure their ads appear at the top of online searches.

The guild shared images of locks destroyed by untrained scammers, and invoices it says overcharged customers. It claimed women and vulnerable people were overwhelmingly targeted.

In one case, a Brisbane homeowner was charged $423.50 by a scammer who broke the lock and then charged to repair it. In Sydney a disabled man also had his lock broken, and was billed $900 including $150 to cover the cost of drill bits.

While in Melbourne a woman was charged $1,000 to be let back into her home. “I live alone and have been traumatised by this,” she said. An international student copped an even bigger charge — $2,385 for the same service.

There are several telltale signs that the guid wants Aussies in need of a locksmith to be aware of.

  • Websites use fake addresses and use stock images

  • Service charges are advertised at $30 to $120

  • Locksmiths will arrive in an unmarked van very quickly and will not be wearing a uniform

  • Invoices will contain several extra charges

Professional locksmith Ellis said there isn’t just a toll on humans, the scammers are also wasting valuable resources when they destroy locks. Because the price of metal is low, broken locks are usually just placed in the bin.

“It's a waste, because there's no way these locks can be repaired or reused or recycled,” he said.

“Even when we get a callout to rekey a lock sometimes… for time's sake, we'll sometimes replace the lock because it's quicker and easier, but still charge the same price.

“But then we keep the old lock, and then we'll rekey it at our leisure, and then reuse it. But if you're a scammer who is replacing locks and just throwing them in the bin, then that’s a lot of wastage.”

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