How do I spot a fake locksmith listing?

Red flags include virtual phone numbers starting 020 3633, 020 8087, 020 3519, 020 3670, 020 8191 or 0330. Generic reviews with no named locksmith. Open 24 hours every day. Address that shows no locksmith business on Street View. Business name that is just a town name and service type.

What is the locksmith 49er scam?

The locksmith 49er scam is where a rogue locksmith advertises a price of £39, £49 or £59 to secure a callout, then charges far more on arrival — often £300 to £800 or more. If a locksmith quotes £49 as a total price — hang up.

What should I do if I have been overcharged by a locksmith?

Contact your bank immediately. Credit card payments over £100 are protected by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Debit card payments can be recovered via chargeback. Report to Ofcom, Trading Standards via Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133, and Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Where can I find a genuine locksmith?

Use the Master Locksmiths Association directory at locksmiths.co.uk. Save a number before you need one. Never search online for a locksmith when you are locked out — the top results are often fake listings.

Is there a database of fake locksmith listings?

Yes. locksmithscams.co.uk/bad-actors.html contains over 90 documented fake locksmith listings searchable by phone number, company name, and area. If you want to check whether a locksmith you called has been reported before — search the database.

You searched for a locksmith on Google.
Most top results are shell companies — not genuine local locksmiths.

When you search "locksmith near me" on Google — the sponsored ads and local listings that appear may not be genuine local businesses. Many are shell companies using fabricated company names, virtual phone numbers, and false addresses to appear local. Check before you call.

Already been overcharged? You may be able to get your money back. →

SAW A PAID ADVERTISEMENT?

Report this ad to Google — tap the three dots ⋮ on the ad and select Report this ad → Scam or fraud

⬇ REPORT TO TRADING STANDARDS & AUTHORITIES →

SAW A LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING?

Report this listing to Google — scroll down on the listing and tap Report a problem → This place doesn't exist

⬇ REPORT TO TRADING STANDARDS & AUTHORITIES →

147%

Rise in complaints Jan–Mar 2026

£3,300

Highest confirmed charge for a lockout

40+

Fake listings in west London alone

Coordinated virtual phone number networks documented

Report a fake listing → How to spot one

⚠️ UNLESS YOU COMPLAIN — NOTHING WILL BE DONE ⚠️

COMPLAIN.
EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Most victims suffer in silence. That silence is exactly what keeps these operations running. Regulators only act when they see the scale of the problem. They only see it when you report it.

One report

Adds to the evidence file. Creates a timestamp. Proves you were defrauded.

Ten reports

Flags the number to Ofcom. Triggers a Trading Standards review. Puts the listing under scrutiny.

A hundred reports

Shuts down the phone number. Removes the listing. Opens a formal investigation. Stops others being scammed.

REPORT IT NOW →

Your complaint is not pointless. It is evidence.
The authorities need to see the scale of this problem before they will act on it. You are the evidence. File the complaint.

The Online Safety Act 2023 · The Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 · Ofcom · Trading Standards · Action Fraud
All have powers to act. None of them will use those powers without your complaint.

Why your complaint matters — even if nothing happens immediately

Here is what actually happens when people report. It is slower than it should be — but it works.

Report the phone number to Ofcom

Multiple complaints against the same number trigger Ofcom to direct the telecoms provider to suspend it. The listing stays on Google Maps — but nobody can call it. The operation stops.

Report the listing to Google

Each report is logged. When reports accumulate on a listing Google's systems flag it for review. Leaving a review as an address owner or local resident is the single fastest way to get a listing removed.

Report to Trading Standards

Trading Standards build case files from individual complaints. A pattern of complaints against the same operator triggers a formal investigation. Under the DMCCA 2024 fabricated reviews are now a criminal offence.

Share your story publicly

Leave a review on the fake listing. Contact an investigative journalist. Post on Nextdoor or local Facebook groups. Every public account of what happened warns another consumer before they call the same number.

The Online Safety Act 2023 — new powers, slow implementation

The Online Safety Act gives Ofcom significant new powers to hold platforms like Google accountable for fraudulent content. The Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 makes fabricated reviews illegal. These laws exist — but the regulatory structures to enforce them at scale are still being built. The more complaints regulators receive, the faster those structures are built and the more pressure there is to use them. Every complaint you file today helps build the case for enforcement tomorrow.

Honest practical advice

Locked out? Here is what to actually do — before you call anyone

The advice nobody gives you — because it is not in anyone's commercial interest to say it. If you are locked out late at night, calling a locksmith is not always your best or cheapest option. Here is the honest picture.

Before you call anyone — check these first

Is there another way in? Back door. Side gate. Window you left open. Garage. If you share a building — does a neighbour have a spare key or can a building manager let you in? Try everything before calling anyone.

Does anyone else have a key? Family member. Friend. Neighbour. Landlord. Estate agent. Someone who looked after your pet. Call them first — even if it is late. A taxi to collect a spare key is far cheaper than a midnight locksmith callout.

Are you renting? Your landlord or letting agent may have a legal obligation to help you gain access. Call them before calling a locksmith.

Is it late at night? Seriously consider booking into a local hotel for the night. Deal with it in the morning when you are calm, it is daylight, and you can find a genuine local locksmith at a reasonable rate. A budget hotel room is often cheaper than a midnight callout — and infinitely less stressful than dealing with a rogue operator at 1am.

The hotel option — seriously worth considering

If you are locked out late at night and cannot find a trusted locksmith — booking into a nearby hotel is often the smartest financial decision you can make. A budget hotel room costs £50 to £80. A midnight rogue locksmith callout can cost £300 to £800 or more. The maths is simple.

At the hotel you can charge your phone, think clearly, contact family or friends, and find a genuine local locksmith through the MLA directory in the morning. You arrive rested, in daylight, with a vetted locksmith who will do the job properly at a fair price.

Rogue operators rely on your panic. Removing yourself from the panic removes their advantage entirely.

If you must call a locksmith at night

If you have no alternative and must call a locksmith late at night — do not search Google. Use the MLA directory at locksmiths.co.uk on your phone. If no MLA locksmith answers, try Checkatrade. Always get a written price via WhatsApp before anyone comes out. And be aware that legitimate locksmiths may not be available at midnight — and if they are, a fair night rate will be higher than a daytime rate.

A genuine locksmith who quotes £120 for a midnight callout is being honest with you. A locksmith who quotes £49 at midnight is not.

The best defence against being locked out

Give a spare key to someone you trust

Family member, neighbour, close friend. The single most effective prevention. Costs nothing.

Never leave your key in the lock inside

If you have a back door — make sure you can access it. Two ways in is always better than one.

Save a locksmith's number now

Find a genuine local locksmith via locksmiths.co.uk today. Save their number as LOCAL LOCKSMITH. Do it now — not when you need them.

Check your home insurance

Many home insurance policies include lockout cover. Check yours before you need it. Your insurer may have approved locksmiths they will send at no cost to you.

Before you need one — read this now

How to find a legitimate locksmith in the UK — before you are locked out

The most important thing you can do is find your local locksmith before you need one. Save their number in your phone today. When you are locked out at 11pm in the rain is the worst possible moment to start searching Google — because that is exactly when the fake listings are designed to catch you.

The honest truth about finding a locksmith in London in 2026

If you are searching for how to avoid a rogue locksmith, how to find a legitimate locksmith in London, or how to check a locksmith before you call — you are in the right place. Genuine local locksmiths in London are becoming increasingly hard to find — not because they do not exist, but because fake listings have so completely dominated online search results that legitimate businesses have been pushed out of view. The playing field has been so skewed by fake paid adverts and virtual number networks that many genuine locksmiths have simply stopped trying to compete on Google.

If something is not done — through licensing, through regulation, through enforcement — the same hollowing out that has happened in London will spread to every town and city in the UK. The genuine local locksmith who trained, who invested in tools, who built a reputation over years, is being driven out of their own market by operators who have no qualifications, no local presence, and no intention of doing a good job.

Where to look — in order of reliability

First choice — most reliable

locksmiths.co.uk — Master Locksmiths Association directory

The MLA directory is the most reliable place to find a genuine, vetted locksmith in the UK. MLA members are assessed for technical competence, vetted, and must adhere to a code of conduct. This is the place to look first — before you need a locksmith, not after.

The number of MLA members in London has fallen significantly in recent years — a direct consequence of fake listings making it impossible for genuine locksmiths to compete on Google. If you cannot find an MLA locksmith in your immediate area, search the nearest town and ask if they cover your postcode. Many do.

Find an MLA locksmith near you →

This website is not affiliated with the MLA. The link is provided as a public service.

2. Certified Locksmiths and Security

Certified Locksmiths and Security is a directory of vetted and certified locksmith professionals across the UK. Unlike general trade directories that accept any applicant, this directory applies specific criteria to ensure every locksmith listed is genuinely qualified and operating to a professional standard. A useful second resource alongside the MLA.

Find a certified locksmith →

This website is not affiliated with Certified Locksmiths and Security. The link is provided as a public service.

Second choice

Which? Trusted Traders

Which? Trusted Traders is backed by the consumer champion Which? and applies an endorsement process including trading history and customer reference checks — making it a more rigorous option than standard trade directories. The Which? brand also gives consumers additional confidence that listed traders have been properly assessed. Search for a locksmith at trustedtraders.which.co.uk. Backed by the Which? consumer champion — a trusted and well known third option for finding a vetted local locksmith.

Find a locksmith on Which? Trusted Traders →

Checkatrade — checkatrade.com

Checkatrade vets tradespeople and verifies reviews — though its vetting process is less rigorous than the MLA. It is a reasonable second option if no MLA locksmith is available in your area. Look for locksmiths with a significant number of verified reviews describing specific jobs — not generic praise. A named locksmith in the reviews is a positive sign.

Note: Checkatrade is more reliable than Google Maps but is not as thorough as the MLA directory. Use it as a second option rather than a first choice.

Find a locksmith on Checkatrade →

Do not rely on search engine results for a locksmith when you are locked out

The top results on Google for "locksmith near me" are overwhelmingly fake listings. This has been documented and reported repeatedly — and the listings remain.

If you are already locked out and have no saved number — use the MLA directory at locksmiths.co.uk on your phone. It takes sixty seconds. It is infinitely safer than calling the first Google result. The sixty seconds you spend finding a genuine locksmith could save you hundreds of pounds and a very unpleasant experience.

The single most useful thing you can do right now

Find your local locksmith today.
Save their number in your phone.

Go to locksmiths.co.uk right now. Find the nearest MLA locksmith to your home. Call them during business hours — introduce yourself, confirm they cover your area, get their number. Save it in your phone as LOCAL LOCKSMITH. That thirty second phone call today could save you £500 and a very distressing evening in the future.

Find your local locksmith now →

If you are searching for any of these — you are in the right place

Dodgy locksmith? Cowboy? Been done over? Ripped off?

Whatever you call it — this site is for you. Here is every way people describe what happened to them.

dodgy locksmith cowboy locksmith rogue locksmith rip off locksmith been done over by locksmith locksmith scammed me locksmith overcharged me locksmith ripped me off locksmith extortion locksmith daylight robbery locksmith con artist locksmith conned me fake locksmith Google locksmith 49er scam locksmith quoted £49 then charged hundreds locksmith bait and switch locksmith drilled my lock unnecessarily locksmith refused to leave locksmith threatened me locksmith aggressive locksmith won't leave until I pay locksmith invoice wrong company name locksmith invoice different name locksmith no receipt locksmith cash only locksmith charged for parts not needed locksmith changed lock without asking bandit locksmith locksmith not local locksmith fake address locksmith fake reviews locksmith chargeback locksmith get money back locksmith virtual number locksmith not MLA locksmith turned up and drilled locksmith shyster locksmith crook locksmith taking liberties locksmith taking the mickey locksmith on Google Maps fake locksmith con locksmith fraud locksmith robbed me locksmith price gouging locksmith taking advantage locksmith not genuine emergency locksmith scam locksmith overpriced lock locksmith showed me website price Astra Security locksmith locksmith charged £300 for a lock locksmith charged £400 for a lock locksmith own brand lock expensive locksmith parts markup

If any of these describe your experience — or if a locksmith showed you an expensive branded lock website to justify their price — see the Astra Security lock scam page. Or search the bad actors database or find out how to get your money back.

You searched for a locksmith on Google. Most top results are shell companies — not genuine local locksmiths.

COMPLAIN.EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.