Cheap Locksmiths Scamming Residents
Business owners beware! There appears to be a scam afoot. Local locksmiths have been advertising in the Yellow Pages using the addresses of other businesses. All of the accused listings have been found as having no actual record of location. Instead, they choose, seemingly at random, some unsuspecting business and use that address as their own in advertisements. The victims are understandably upset. There is no telling how negatively business has actually been affected by this trend.
Burlington Cheap Locksmith, Waterdown Cheap Locksmith, and Oakville Cheap Locksmith are just a few of the names. Almost two dozen faulty listings with false addresses have been removed. A representative for the Yellow Pages says that “Having the correct business information for our customers across our platforms is our main priority, as is making sure that we take all possible action towards fraudulent listings.” To make matters worse, no one knows how many of these frauds exist.
It appears that the perpetrators tend to focus on locations closer to the coastline of the Greater Toronto Area like Pickering, Ajax, Oakville, and Mississauga. Some locations are further inland and include Aurora, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Newmarket. Many are in the Hamilton area like Stoney Creek, Dundas, Burlington, and Waterdown. So far there doesn’t seem to be any pattern or order that might help detect which region might be targeted next. The locations and timing seem to be completely random. Getting references of your locksmith and hiring the right locksmith such as this locksmith in North York is becoming increasingly harder.
No one, including authorities, have any indication as to why these particular businesses were targeted by the scam. With no motive established, it’s almost impossible, to ascertain what led scammers to commit such fraudulent acts. Although Yellow Pages launched their own investigation, they were unable to find a culprit. Many people have speculated as to why any business would use another businesses address but no one knows for sure. So far, there is no answer to the question of why.
A representative for the Ontario Association of Locksmiths said they’ve been hearing this type of complaints for over a decade. It’s unclear how long these recently found frauds have been operating. This isn’t a crime so law enforcement is limited in what they can do. Unless there is solid proof of “economic gain through deceit.” police cannot move forward with any type of investigation. The inability to prosecute the perpetrators leaves local businesses owners high and dry with no answers.
