Petition Reduce scam locksmith operators

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council a major scam being perpetrated every day across our state by overseas criminals posing as locksmiths, costing unsuspecting Victorians millions of dollars each year.

The scam targets people, often lone females and elderly people, who have locked themselves out of their homes, quoting cheap call-out fees then adding fake charges ranging from many hundreds of dollars to more than $2,000. Furthermore, the criminals often destroy the lock and door, forcing customers to pay even more to have this repaired by a legitimate locksmith. Many victims have also reported threats and standover tactics to pressure them to pay, and they do so out of fear.

These criminal organisations operate in plain sight, setting up legitimate looking websites offering emergency 24/7 locksmith services at low prices. The websites feature fake addresses and often have fake reviews. They spend huge amounts of money on Google Ads to ensure maximum exposure. Victorian authorities are aware of this scam however current legislation makes it impossible for these criminals to be brought to justice. The petitioners seek to provide more power to authorities and end these scams.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to insert a definition for 'locksmith' into the Private Security Act 2004 which defines a locksmith as a current financial member of a recognised locksmith industry association, where the association can demonstrate minimum entry and ongoing membership requirements, and has the capacity to audit and enforce compliance with the membership requirements.