Locksmith Scams Hit the Mid-South

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - If you are ever in need of a locksmith, this is a story you can't miss. There is a scam sweeping the country, and its happening right here in the Mid-South.

The Better Business Bureau wants you to know a local phone number does not always mean a local locksmith and Memphis customers are being ripped off.

Kay Nesbitt says it happened to her earlier this week.

"I was so angry with myself and angry with the guy that came," states Nesbitt.

Nesbitt says when she got locked out of her home she and a neighbor immediately grabbed a phonebook and started looking for a locksmith.

"The address we called was on Park Avenue."

Nesbitt says the listing was for "A 24 Hour – A1" and while someone came out within the hour there problems from the beginning.

"I said why don't you just pick that door and he said I cannot just pick that door."

Instead, Nesbitt says the so called locksmith told her to get back in her house that he would have to drill out her lock and ended up destroying it.

"The whole outside of the back door was torn to a frazzle - just mangled."

Not to mention the $37 price Nesbitt says she was quoted for the job over the phone doubled by the end and her receipt had the name of a different company.

"Dependable Locksmith had no phone number, no Memphis address."

"We run into this. We've done two this week."

Alisha DeGraw with "Triple A Safe and Lock" says they have a list of the unlicensed locksmiths who are not located where they say they are. They are out of state, but use the internet and phonebook to take local numbers from other companies.

"If you go under Google and type in 722 South Highland you get our business name but their phone number."

According to the Better Business Bureau these companies use misleading ads with local numbers that are really routed to far off call centers.

Nesbitt says she learned the hard way. "2265 Park Avenue is actually a Yum's sandwich shop."

To avoid a similar situation the BBB says: be wary of locksmiths who answer the phone with generic sounding names like "Locksmith Services."