Hiring a locksmith in the US, especially in Las Vegas, is a very risky business. There are literally thousands of locksmiths listed on Google and in phone books that are phony and linked to huge crime syndicates. What better way to get access to property than pose as a locksmith?
Police investigating this surge in illegal 'locksmith' activity believe that it is also part of a human trafficking syndicate. People are lured with a promise of a job and then forced to do whatever they're told, whenever they're told to do it.
The scam emanates from New York and Florida and is a highly organized criminal enterprise. Customers are quoted a price over the phone, but when the locksmith arrives and finishes the job, the price is often doubled or even tripled. If the customers then refuse to pay or complain, they are threatened and the 'locksmith' will refuse to leave the premises. The victims of this scam have nowhere to go to complain.
How can you know which companies are legitimate? Police investigating the matter suggest that you speak to your insurance company and get names of registered, legitimate locksmiths before you pick one online or out of a phone book.
