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Odd that this doesn't mention the long-running locksmith scam wherein a Google search invariably indicates that there are dozens of locksmiths within a few mile

Odd that this doesn't mention the long-running locksmith scam wherein a Google search invariably indicates that there are dozens of locksmiths within a few miles of the searcher's location, most or all of which go to call centers for scammy locksmith services. Honestly, the problem the article describes is the exact same scam, just extended to other business types. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locksmith_scam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locksmith_scam

mwexler 7y ago
And has been happening since at least 2014, with articles in the NYTimes as well as other sources.
dpau 7y ago
Nice Reply All podcast about the locksmith scam: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2ho87 https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2ho87 NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/business/fake-online-locksmiths-may-be-out-to-pick-your-pocket-too.html http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/business/fake-online-locks...
- imglorp 7y ago
  > Nearly all of those ads promise “$19 service,” or thereabouts, a suspiciously low sum, given that “locksmith”-related ads cost about $30 or so per click, depending on the area. There's the weapon against them right there. If you're a crusader, don't be a volunteer mapper for Google. Find the fake listings (drive there and look, or street view?) and then click on them, costing the scammers every time. I imagine clicks could be automated once discovered? Or at least shared with other volunteers who can click.
- imglorp 7y ago
  > ...a locksmith in Phoenix, [...] wanted to know how many locksmiths were listed in Arizona. “There were 9,600 of them in the list I got from Acxiom,” he said. “That’s about 9,000 more than anyone believes actually work in the state.” This is terrible. The honest neighborhood guy is also a victim along with the customers.
nsxwolf 7y ago
Florists do something like this too.
ocdtrekkie 7y ago
This isn't really that industry specific, the rehab scams were the same way: https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/7/16257412/rehabs-near-me-google-search-scam-florida-treatment-centers https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/7/16257412/rehabs-near-me-go... You look for a local addiction rehab, but get a call center for a company which pimps out rehab centers in Florida.
jfno67 7y ago
Locksmith use to do the same kinds of scam on 411 services and yellow pages listings. The fees to have multiple business phone lines with the phone company was the real curation.
- Vivtek 7y ago
  My uncle was a locksmith. His listing was "AAA Locksmith". He was pretty proud about gaming the indexing system that way.
alwaysknow 7y ago
I can always tell when I call one of these businesses because they answer the phone with a generic "Locksmith" or "Florist" or whatever instead of "Bob's Locks," or "Farrah's Flowers". It just sounds so weird.
president 7y ago
I was burned by this before (in SF Bay area). The call center dispatched a guy that took over an hour to finally arrive in his broken-down family van. He came out of his car with a power drill in his hand and asked me where the lock was. The entire time he was smoking. Apparently, he wanted to drill through the lock and replace the whole thing instead of picking the lock like a true locksmith. Luckily there were enough red flags in the whole process to where I promptly told him to get off my property. They still charged me $20 and I ended up paying because I didn't want them to come back and do something to my house. The guy ended up sending my credit card details to "HQ" through a text message.
- zippergz 7y ago
  This is why that Reply All podcast about this topic (posted by someone else in this thread) is titled "Very Quickly to the Drill."
- Chris_Chambers 7y ago
  You... gave them your credit card? Have you ever done an IQ test? I’m curious what the results were.
flyinghamster 7y ago
This is absolutely a case where it's best to forget about high-tech and pick up your Yellow Pages. Any legitimate locksmiths will have their state license number displayed in their ads.
- sizzle 7y ago
  What about yelp?
TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago
Last time I needed a locksmith I was very careful to check if they were on Google Street View.
c22 7y ago
This explains the bizarre experience I had last year where I needed some keys copied and saw there was a locksmith just down the street so I went down there and couldn't find it. I called to get directions and had the strangest 10 minute conversation with someone who swore up and down they were sitting right there at a real place but could not explain to me how to find it when I was standing "right outside."
40139 7y ago
Hmm, hadn't heard about that one.
shoo 7y ago
i guess this is more likely to happen for one-off work like picking or replacing a lock versus other kinds of business relationship with a higher chance of recurring business --- in the former situation perhaps it doesn't matter so much to burn your reputation by screwing over the client in a one-shot deal
iserlohnmage 7y ago
> Locksmith scams have been reported in the U.S.,[8][9][3][10][11] the U.K.,[12][13] and New Zealand.[14][15][16] Blimey, I thought it only widespreads in Germany.
saalweachter 7y ago
The locksmith problem on Google Maps is much less severe than it used to be, for a variety of reasons. Spam listings still exist, but it's less systematic than it used to be -- you no longer see one on every intersection of Manhattan, for instance.

mwexler 7y ago

And has been happening since at least 2014, with articles in the NYTimes as well as other sources.

dpau 7y ago

Nice Reply All podcast about the locksmith scam: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2ho87 https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2ho87 NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/business/fake-online-locksmiths-may-be-out-to-pick-your-pocket-too.html http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/business/fake-online-locks...

imglorp 7y ago
> Nearly all of those ads promise “$19 service,” or thereabouts, a suspiciously low sum, given that “locksmith”-related ads cost about $30 or so per click, depending on the area. There's the weapon against them right there. If you're a crusader, don't be a volunteer mapper for Google. Find the fake listings (drive there and look, or street view?) and then click on them, costing the scammers every time. I imagine clicks could be automated once discovered? Or at least shared with other volunteers who can click.
imglorp 7y ago
> ...a locksmith in Phoenix, [...] wanted to know how many locksmiths were listed in Arizona. “There were 9,600 of them in the list I got from Acxiom,” he said. “That’s about 9,000 more than anyone believes actually work in the state.” This is terrible. The honest neighborhood guy is also a victim along with the customers.

nsxwolf 7y ago

Florists do something like this too.

ocdtrekkie 7y ago

This isn't really that industry specific, the rehab scams were the same way: https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/7/16257412/rehabs-near-me-google-search-scam-florida-treatment-centers https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/7/16257412/rehabs-near-me-go... You look for a local addiction rehab, but get a call center for a company which pimps out rehab centers in Florida.

jfno67 7y ago

Locksmith use to do the same kinds of scam on 411 services and yellow pages listings. The fees to have multiple business phone lines with the phone company was the real curation.

Vivtek 7y ago
My uncle was a locksmith. His listing was "AAA Locksmith". He was pretty proud about gaming the indexing system that way.

alwaysknow 7y ago

I can always tell when I call one of these businesses because they answer the phone with a generic "Locksmith" or "Florist" or whatever instead of "Bob's Locks," or "Farrah's Flowers". It just sounds so weird.

president 7y ago

I was burned by this before (in SF Bay area). The call center dispatched a guy that took over an hour to finally arrive in his broken-down family van. He came out of his car with a power drill in his hand and asked me where the lock was. The entire time he was smoking. Apparently, he wanted to drill through the lock and replace the whole thing instead of picking the lock like a true locksmith. Luckily there were enough red flags in the whole process to where I promptly told him to get off my property. They still charged me $20 and I ended up paying because I didn't want them to come back and do something to my house. The guy ended up sending my credit card details to "HQ" through a text message.

zippergz 7y ago
This is why that Reply All podcast about this topic (posted by someone else in this thread) is titled "Very Quickly to the Drill."
Chris_Chambers 7y ago
You... gave them your credit card? Have you ever done an IQ test? I’m curious what the results were.

flyinghamster 7y ago

This is absolutely a case where it's best to forget about high-tech and pick up your Yellow Pages. Any legitimate locksmiths will have their state license number displayed in their ads.

sizzle 7y ago
What about yelp?

TazeTSchnitzel 7y ago

Last time I needed a locksmith I was very careful to check if they were on Google Street View.

c22 7y ago

This explains the bizarre experience I had last year where I needed some keys copied and saw there was a locksmith just down the street so I went down there and couldn't find it. I called to get directions and had the strangest 10 minute conversation with someone who swore up and down they were sitting right there at a real place but could not explain to me how to find it when I was standing "right outside."

40139 7y ago

Hmm, hadn't heard about that one.

shoo 7y ago

i guess this is more likely to happen for one-off work like picking or replacing a lock versus other kinds of business relationship with a higher chance of recurring business --- in the former situation perhaps it doesn't matter so much to burn your reputation by screwing over the client in a one-shot deal

iserlohnmage 7y ago

> Locksmith scams have been reported in the U.S.,[8][9][3][10][11] the U.K.,[12][13] and New Zealand.[14][15][16] Blimey, I thought it only widespreads in Germany.

saalweachter 7y ago

The locksmith problem on Google Maps is much less severe than it used to be, for a variety of reasons. Spam listings still exist, but it's less systematic than it used to be -- you no longer see one on every intersection of Manhattan, for instance.