A fraudulent locksmith is a company that advertises as a locksmith, but really they employ ill-equipped untrained persons posing as locksmiths, with the real intent of defrauding the consumer. They use deceptive pricing tactics and charge for unnecessary services, intimidating the customer into paying the exorbitantly high prices. Be very careful about the locksmith you decide to use. The internet listings, printed telephone directories, and the 411 listings are all cluttered with false locksmith listings.
These companies have a strong history of fraud and deception. In one case, an elderly person was charged over $1700 to drill out the lock to gain entry! That is a job a legitimate locksmith would have charged $90 to $200 for, without destroying the lock in the process.
The best advice is to contact your local BBB for a list of reputable locksmiths, or ask them for the history of the locksmith you intend on using.
The BBB has issued a nationwide press release about these companies here: BBB
Alerts
Many of the names involved are Dependable Locksmith, Superb Solutions, Locksmith 24 Hour Inc, USA Total Security, Priceline Locksmith, S.O.S. Locksmith, and more. The list is very, very long, and varies according to city.
