Since the customer never knows the real business or people involved, at best they can ask for a single phony listing to be removed - a process that takes time and does not negatively impact the scammer much, as they can simply create more fake listings. The person who turns up may perform shoddy work and then overcharge for the service and parts. The descriptions will be similar to legitimate locksmiths, accompanied by similarly misleading advertising, and usually quoting an unusually low price. All of the phone numbers of these listings eventually link back to a single operation, usually without a legitimate address or license. The scams work by flooding business-finding services with a multitude of faux business listings. Locksmith scams have been reported in the U.S., the U.K., and New Zealand. The scam targets people who call a locksmith out of desperation, usually because of being locked out of their car or premises. The locksmith scam is a scam involving fake business listings for cheap locksmith services that, once called out, overcharge the customer. For the supposed practice of burglars using locksmith stickers to mark vulnerable properties, see Burglar signs § Locksmith stickers.
