Don’t fall prey to unlicensed locksmiths’ ploys

By Karissa Minn

kminn@salisburypost.com

A network of unlicensed locksmiths fined by the state this week may not have operated in Rowan County, but one local locksmith said residents here still need to know how to spot a scam.

Steve Stroud, president of Tarheel Safe and Lock in China Grove, said people should check with the N.C. Locksmith Board to see if a person is licensed before hiring him or her.

“My concern is that the general public don’t understand that you have to be licensed to be a locksmith,” Stroud said. “They just assume that if he’s in the Yellow Pages, he’s a locksmith, and that’s not the case.”

He said a Google search for Salisbury locksmiths turns up some listings with Rowan County addresses where Stroud says no locksmith businesses exist.

In an Aug. 31 press release, the office of N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper said Anna Konevsky and Tamir Avraham, both of Charlotte, operated a network of unlicensed locksmith businesses, including 704 Locksmith Inc., N.C. Charlotte Locksmith and Locksmith Services Inc. The two were fined more than $1 million and banned from offering locksmith services in the state.

The attorney general’s office said the companies do not employ licensed locksmiths but have advertised and performed locksmith services anyway. They operated in several North Carolina counties, including Cabarrus under the name Concord Locksmith. None of the businesses named by the attorney general appear to have offered services in Rowan County.

According to a Charlotte Observer article, the companies used out-of-state call centers and advertised on the Internet and in the Yellow Pages under local addresses. The Observer reported they often charged customers far more than their quoted rates — and in at least one case, threatened a customer with arrest if she wouldn’t pay double the original rate.

Even if their prices and practices are fair, Stroud said, unlicensed locksmiths can cause damage by performing services they aren’t trained to do.

“You might have a neighbor do your plumbing, but that don’t mean he’s going to do it right,” he said.

Stroud said licensed locksmiths are required to go through 24 hours of continuing education and training every three years.

“They try to make sure that when a locksmith comes to your door, he knows what he’s doing, and he’s from a reputable company that’s not going to rip you off,” he said.

Capt. John Sifford with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said he was not aware of any incidents or complaints related to fake locksmiths in the county.

Consumers can call the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM to check out a company or file a complaint.

To avoid falling victim to similar scams, the attorney general recommends the following tips:

• Whenever possible, check out a business before you do business with them by calling the Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau.

• Locksmiths are required by law to be licensed. Before someone does work for you, ask if they’re licensed and write down their license number. Contact the N.C. Locksmith Licensing Board at 919-838-8782 or visit www.nclocksmithboard.org to check out a locksmith or report an unlicensed one.

• A locksmith who arrives on the scene should be wearing an identification tag issued by the Locksmith Licensing Board. If the locksmith isn’t wearing the ID, don’t do business with him or her.

• Get a price quote in writing before you agree to any work.

• For services you may need in an emergency, such as a locksmith or plumber, find a good one before something bad happens. Ask family and friends for recommendations, check them out and then save their contact information so you’ll have it when you need it.

Contact Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.