‘It’s nearly a $1000 door handle’: The locksmith scam catching Aussies off guard
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Locking yourself out of your home or needing a quick security fix can be stressful enough—but what if the locksmith you call turns out to be the real problem?
Concerns are growing over questionable practices in the locksmith industry, with reports of misleading pricing, intimidation tactics, and even links to organised crime.
Now, industry experts are sounding the alarm over a system that’s leaving unsuspecting Australians vulnerable.
Australians were being scammed out of millions each year by rogue locksmiths, with some operators allegedly funnelling profits into international crime syndicates.
Victoria’s consumer watchdog had urged caution when dealing with a Melbourne-based company, Pick and Lock, after multiple complaints about its practices.
While there was no suggestion that Pick and Lock was linked to organised crime, the company had been accused of misleading pricing tactics, harassment, and intimidation.
Grandmother Lois Hansford had turned to Google when she needed her front door lock replaced, only to find Pick and Lock at the top of the search results.
Despite advertising a $29 call-out fee, the company demanded nearly $1000 from her—even though they failed to fix the problem.
She later called a different locksmith, who charged just $167.
‘He was horrified,’ she said.
Mark Adams had a similar experience after being quoted a few hundred dollars, only to be hit with a bill close to $1000.
‘It’s nearly a $1000 door handle,’ he said.
Industry experts warned that dishonest locksmiths were damaging the reputation of legitimate professionals and that the issue was part of a much bigger problem.
‘We know there are criminal gangs, international criminal gangs, who are involved in all of this,’ Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia president Martin Coote said.
‘We don’t know how they’re getting the money out of the country but we certainly know they’re getting the money in the country.’
Coote blamed inconsistent licensing laws across states, with some regions having no regulations at all, making it easy for fraudulent operators to thrive.
‘A real locksmith is going to tell you what it’s going to cost ahead of time—they’re not going to lure you in with a low price and then add all of these fake charges when they get there.’
Customers who had fallen victim to overcharging questioned why social media platforms allowed such businesses to pay for prominent ad placement, making them appear more legitimate.
Social media representatives stated that after being made aware of the issue, action was taken against the misleading ads.
‘We do not allow inflating prices from the quoted amount to exploit users in vulnerable situations or who are under duress.’
‘We want users to be able to trust the ads on our platform, so we strive to ensure ads are clear and honest, and provide the information that users need to make informed decisions.’
Consumer Affairs Victoria declined to comment on whether further action would be taken against Pick and Lock.
Pick and Lock did not respond to calls or emails.
See how scammers are cashing in—read more!
With dodgy locksmiths taking advantage of unsuspecting customers, do you think stricter regulations could put an end to these scams? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Concerns are growing over questionable practices in the locksmith industry, with reports of misleading pricing, intimidation tactics, and even links to organised crime.
Now, industry experts are sounding the alarm over a system that’s leaving unsuspecting Australians vulnerable.
Australians were being scammed out of millions each year by rogue locksmiths, with some operators allegedly funnelling profits into international crime syndicates.
Victoria’s consumer watchdog had urged caution when dealing with a Melbourne-based company, Pick and Lock, after multiple complaints about its practices.
While there was no suggestion that Pick and Lock was linked to organised crime, the company had been accused of misleading pricing tactics, harassment, and intimidation.
Grandmother Lois Hansford had turned to Google when she needed her front door lock replaced, only to find Pick and Lock at the top of the search results.
Despite advertising a $29 call-out fee, the company demanded nearly $1000 from her—even though they failed to fix the problem.
She later called a different locksmith, who charged just $167.
‘He was horrified,’ she said.
Mark Adams had a similar experience after being quoted a few hundred dollars, only to be hit with a bill close to $1000.
‘It’s nearly a $1000 door handle,’ he said.
Industry experts warned that dishonest locksmiths were damaging the reputation of legitimate professionals and that the issue was part of a much bigger problem.
‘We know there are criminal gangs, international criminal gangs, who are involved in all of this,’ Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia president Martin Coote said.
‘We don’t know how they’re getting the money out of the country but we certainly know they’re getting the money in the country.’
Coote blamed inconsistent licensing laws across states, with some regions having no regulations at all, making it easy for fraudulent operators to thrive.
‘A real locksmith is going to tell you what it’s going to cost ahead of time—they’re not going to lure you in with a low price and then add all of these fake charges when they get there.’
Customers who had fallen victim to overcharging questioned why social media platforms allowed such businesses to pay for prominent ad placement, making them appear more legitimate.
Social media representatives stated that after being made aware of the issue, action was taken against the misleading ads.
‘We do not allow inflating prices from the quoted amount to exploit users in vulnerable situations or who are under duress.’
‘We want users to be able to trust the ads on our platform, so we strive to ensure ads are clear and honest, and provide the information that users need to make informed decisions.’
Consumer Affairs Victoria declined to comment on whether further action would be taken against Pick and Lock.
Pick and Lock did not respond to calls or emails.
See how scammers are cashing in—read more!
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With dodgy locksmiths taking advantage of unsuspecting customers, do you think stricter regulations could put an end to these scams? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
