There are quite a few locksmiths present in any given area, and they range in their professional abilities and services, but in the age of the internet and social media, you may encounter scammers who present themselves as professional locksmiths that are not a licensed or professional locksmith. Some of these pretenders might have criminal activities in mind, and presenting themselves as a locksmith gives them direct access to your property’s security in the form of locks.
In this post, we will take a look at what to look out for when choosing a locksmith to hire so you can be confident in the quality of the services that are being given and ensure that you don’t come home find valuable items that have vanished.
Research the Locksmith
In many cases, Scammers operate their locksmithing front from a call center that is not even located in the area that you live in. These scam artists will operate in a large geographical area, but small enough that they can drive to a potential victim relatively quickly. This can be an area that has a radius of over 100 miles.
The majority of scammers won’t give out a specific address for their business, and if they are not from your immediate area, they may try to deceive you by mentioning the area where you are located or give vague references to the area.
If you cannot find a legitimate location for their business on google maps or by using other methods, it should raise a red flag. A professional locksmith will have zero issues giving you their location, and if they are local, they will have intimate knowledge of the area.
Odd Phone Numbers
The name of the potential locksmithing business sounds very generic, it might raise some red flags, but one thing that should really stand out and show if they are a legitimate and professional locksmithing business is to look at their phone number.
Scammers who actually aren’t from your area will use a 1-800 number for their “locksmithing business” phone number, obviously, a local professional locksmith wouldn’t have a need for a 1-800 number.
If you come across a locksmith with a 1-800 number, you should immediately cross them off of your list and move on to find an actual professional locksmith.
Online Research
Online research can be your biggest tool when it comes to spotting a professional locksmith. Whether you’re from a small rural area or a large city, people talk, and word of mouth on social media or other places like google business reviews can go a long way in showing you who is a professional locksmith that gives high-quality service which is not.
Thanks to online resources like Bing or Google maps, you can also find if they have a physical business location, and in many cases, find if the business has a website to go through to determine if they are a professional locksmith service. Our location here at ABC Locksmith & Security is 25 S Washington St # LL600,
Naperville, IL 60540. We are local to the area and know the area like the backs of our hands!
Checking the Locksmiths License or Identification
In the United States, 15 states require all professional locksmiths to maintain a locksmithing license. This law really helps in identifying that a locksmith is legitimate if you live in one of these 15 states:
- Alabama
- California
- Connecticut
- Illinois *ABC Locksmith & Security is a local locksmith service provider in Naperville, IL and licensed, bonded, insured by the state of Illinois.
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
If you live in one of these 15 states and the locksmith you are thinking of hiring cannot produce a locksmith license for you to see, that is a major red flag concerning their legitimacy.
A proficient and professional locksmith should even as you for your identification as well, to ensure that the vehicle or property he is working on truly belongs to you and to make sure his customer isn’t pretending to be someone they aren’t.
Changing Locks
Quite possibly the biggest warning in this post, unless your locks are irreparably damaged and have to be replaced, and you are hiring a professional locksmith to do so, do not let a locksmith change your locks.
Professional locksmiths should have the skills and tools to open your lock without needing to drill or replace your entire lock unless it is damaged beyond repair.
Typically only high-security locks that are used in commercial settings would potentially need to be drilled and removed. If a locksmiths’ first move is to remove and replace your locks, especially if they are not needed, this could be a surefire sign of a scammer.
Scammers will do this and come back while you are away from your property, and with the new locks, have easy access to your belongings.
Conclusion
Some of these warning signs may seem pretty obvious after reading, but at the time, many people don’t think about them, especially if the locksmith they decided to hire looks professional at first glance. Just a small amount of research should unveil whether a locksmith is legitimate or not.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to one of our technicians, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are local locksmiths in Naperville and are here to provide you with the best locksmith services around. We want you to feel safe and understood no matter what security troubles you may be facing. We are here to help every step of the way. We look forward to speaking with you!