Articles — Media Coverage

Locksmith scam media coverage — BBC, ITV, and press reports

Locksmith scams have been covered by the BBC, ITV, national press, and local media for over a decade. The coverage has been accurate. The problem has continued. Here is the media record — and why coverage alone is not enough.

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The media record

BBC — multiple national and regional investigations

The BBC has covered locksmith scams across regional and national output. Specific cases involving elderly victims, the 49er bait price scam, and the Google Maps fake listing problem have all been documented. BBC coverage has been referenced in parliamentary debates.

ITV — consumer affairs coverage

ITV regional programmes have covered locksmith overcharging in several areas of the UK. Cases involving vulnerable consumers and aggressive behaviour at the door have featured prominently.

Wikipedia — Locksmith Scam page

The Wikipedia locksmith scam page documents the model internationally — including specific reference to the harm caused to genuine local locksmiths who lose business to fake listings.

National press — Times, Guardian, Mail

National newspaper coverage has increased in 2025 and 2026 as the scale of the problem has grown and the regulatory response has accelerated.

Why coverage alone has not solved it

Media coverage raises awareness but does not in itself change the underlying system that enables the fraud. What media coverage has not yet produced — in the UK — is the sustained political pressure that results in mandatory licensing or a Google advertising ban.

That pressure happened in Germany after sustained media and regulatory attention. It happened in Spain. The UK has had the coverage but not the regulatory response. The difference is the scale and duration of the campaign — and the presence of a specific, evidenced, named evidence base that gives regulators something concrete to act on.

Have a story to share?

If you have been scammed by a rogue locksmith and are willing to share your story — your account adds to the public record that journalists and regulators use. You do not need to be named. Contact us via the contact form. Contact Us →

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