When you are in a hurry or simply need a resolution quickly, you may not consider what you need to lookout for but if you can keep only one or two of these signs in mind, you can then look elsewhere for the help you need. It’s better to be safe than sorry.  

• When contacting the locksmith, if you are being routed to a fake service provider, the dispatcher will not answer with the exact name of the company. If you ask them what locksmith service you have reached, they will not be able to tell you because they probably work for hundreds of fake locksmith companies.
• When they quote you a fee for the job that needs to be performed it will usually be an extremely low rate. This is alarm enough, especially if you are getting much higher quotes elsewhere. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Instead of the low cost of the service that you have been quoted, you may end up spending hundreds of dollars.
• They may promise to respond to your service requests in 15-minute or less. In actuality it may take them up to 2 hours or longer. This is because the service provider has not been contacted yet. Remember, you are not dealing directly with the actual locksmith service and therefore it may take time to find the closest one to you. The closest locksmith may be more than an hour from where you are, despite what Google Maps indicates.
• If you are being scammed, the locksmith will likely arrive in an unmarked vehicle. In some cases, they may have a magnetic sign on their car or truck that they can simply take off. Most reputable locksmith companies advertise their company with permanent advertising, clearly marked on their vehicles. They may also have out-of-state license plates if they are not legitimate.
• They will not have a uniform on and will not be able to show you and ID.
• They will claim that you have high security locks or commercial grade locks and begin drilling into the door, enabling them to destroy the lock itself. At this point, they will usually replace your good lock for a cheap one but still charge you more claiming that it took them longer to pick the lock because they had to drill a lock.
• When you need an automotive locksmith, the locksmith that shows up may claim that since the car is older, it will cost more or if it’s newer they might claim that job will cost more because it’s newer.
• A fake locksmith will ask for cash payment. Fake locksmiths do not want to accept credit card payments. In most instances, they are not authorized to do so. Credit cards make it possible for them to be discovered.
• They cover their tracks. It’s not possible for you to locate them once they have already scammed you. If you make contact with the actual locksmith, they will say that you have to speak to dispatch. When you contact dispatch, they direct you to another number. When you call that other number, either it doesn’t exists or the phone just rings and no one every answers. Finally, if you do make contact with someone, they will say the locksmith no longer works for them but they will not offer to give you any money back or fix the problem.