Locksmith scams: please be careful!

Hello Barnsbury,

We wanted to alert you to a type of scam that has increased enormously over the last couple of years: locksmith scams.

It may have happened to you - you come home at night and suddenly realise you don't have your house keys on you. What to do? A lot of people would go straight on their phone, and look for “find my nearest locksmith” or similar on an internet search engine. 

Already, this is where you need to be very careful - a lot of scammers pay these search engines good money to make sure they are high up in the resulting list. A second red flag: the scammer will give you very low online quotes for the job, tempting you to go for the lowest price.

It's only a key/lock, right? Wrong. These scammers will come to your door and all of a sudden there are heaps of extra charges: the call-out charge has suddenly tripled from the original quote, a high-security special lock is needed at hundreds of pounds, a new door handle will be £300-£400 etc.

By this time, the scammer is already in/at your house,making it much more difficult to refuse the job. Like most scammers, these people prey on elderly people and lone females, who might be more reluctant to make a fuss.

Please let the above not be you! We would advise you to find a local locksmith registered with the Master Locksmiths Association, and save the number in your contacts for any future emergency. 

Do not rely on Google results, or - just as bad! - a random sticker with a phone number that a stranger stuck on your letterbox.

For more information and tips, please have a look at the MLA's website, you can also find an MLA vetted and inspected locksmith near you here https://www.locksmiths.co.uk/faq/locksmith-scams-how-to-spot-rogue-locksmith/

Please share this message with friends, family and neighbours.