The best way to handle an emergency is to be prepared beforehand, to have a plan of action to implement when the emergency arises. It’s why we train our kids from a young age to stop, drop, and roll in the event of a fire. 

 

I experienced a lesser-known emergency a few weeks ago, leaving myself open to a common but often unknown scam: the locksmith scam. 

 

I was out of town, packing up my former home, and ran to the laundromat to pick up clothes I’d dropped off to be washed shortly before her 8 PM closing time. I grabbed my keys and the dogs for the ten-minute drive. 

 

She came to the door and I exited my car parked five feet from her, shutting off the engine but leaving the keys in the ignition. Within two seconds of walking off my chihuahua jumped on the power lock button, locking me out of my car with my phone inside. Panicked over the dogs inside and knowing the spare was five hours away, I immediately borrowed the owner’s phone to call Pop-A-Lock. 

 

In my haste, I dialed the first number that popped up, skipping my usual step of scrolling past sponsored ads. When the dispatcher answer, I asked if I’d reached the local Pop-A-Lock, noting that I’d been directed to an out-of-area-code number. He assured me it was Pop-A-Lock and he would dispatch someone locally. No quote was given. 

 

Pop-A-Lock, or other reputable locksmiths will always give you an estimate upfront after you provide the address where you are located. 

 

After 45 minutes and many futile efforts to get the dog to jump on the power locks again to unlock the doors, a locksmith arrived. He quickly got to work and unlocked my doors, relieving me of pet worry. I hadn’t grabbed a bank card but I had PayPal and Venmo, certain he’d take that in this day and age. 

 

He only took cash, Zelle, or CashApp. To make matters worse, he told me it would be $220! I hadn’t used a locksmith in a couple of decades so I wasn’t sure if the price had gone up that much or I was being ripped off. Upon questioning the locksmith he said that he’d had to leave a party at home and that was why it cost more than usual. 

 

Reputable locksmiths don’t add additional charges based on their circumstances. At this point I knew I was dealing with a disreputable serviceman but I couldn’t call him a con artist as, technically, he had unlocked my car. 

 

In the meantime I called my daughter, also my State Farm agent who assured me I had reimbursement coverage while confirming it all seemed sketchy. She and my father helped me move money around while the owner stayed an hour and a half past closing to ensure I wasn’t left alone in the dark parking lot. 

 

When he realized my daughter aka insurance agent was questioning him, he refused to let me see the invoice I’d asked for, folding it up into a 1/2” square. When I finally saw it, it brought up…

 

Red Flag #5: 

A generic invoice with no identifying company name or address. His signature was illegible and the word locksmith was even spelled wrong on the invoice. 

 

He was furious that he had to wait so long while we transferred money between accounts and I was unsure of what would happen if I refused to pay the entire amount, so I paid it in full, submitting an insurance claim the next day and tagging Pop-a-Lock in a public post. It was then that I discovered the locksmith scam.

 

“Google allows others to use our company name in advertising and it deceives many people! These scammers are protected by the Digital Millennium Act,” authorized Pop-A-Lock representative Rob Reynolds explains. 

 

Using the info the Pop-A-Lock poser, Harel Cohen, had provided for payment, I tracked down his company, Siaeae18 LLC. It was based out of Miami, FL and he was the sole owner-operator. He was also tied to another solo proprietorship locksmith company in Florida that is no longer in operation.

 

Even though it was too late for me, I wanted to warn others so I asked Reynolds how customers can be sure they’ve reached a reputable locksmith and remain safe when locked out of their car. 

 

“A Pop-A-Lock invoice will have the logo and  company info at the top. Our rates are $79.95 unless it’s an overnight or luxury car. We always give a quote with the initial call,” he shared. 

 

I also mentioned how the phone number had given me pause and asked if all authorized retailers were local numbers. “While 888-POP-OPEN is still in service, all local businesses will have local numbers. Many provide a picture of the driver, their GPS, the vehicle they are arriving in, and the quote given.”

 

That level of security is vital, especially when traveling alone after dark. 

 

If you find yourself locked out of your car and you call a locksmith, skip sponsored ads and look for the Pop-A-Lock authorized retailer logo or a local locksmith with positive third-party reviews. Do not allow a dispatcher to send anyone without providing an upfront quote. If you feel unsafe in any way when a serviceperson arrives to assist you, call 9-1-1 and ask for officer assistance. 

 

I could’ve handled the whole situation completely differently had I been prepared. I am grateful for the friends who helped there and the family who helped back home to ensure that I remained safe while being taken advantage of in this locksmith scam.