Locksmith scams in the UK: how to spot and avoid them

Sol WrightCo-founder, Tradehand

Published 20 July 2026Updated 19 August 2026

Locksmithing is not regulated by the UK government, so anyone can trade as a locksmith. Rogue operators advertise £39 to £59 call-outs through fake local listings, then drill locks unnecessarily and demand hundreds of pounds on the doorstep. This guide explains how the scam works, what legitimate work costs, and your legal rights if it happens to you, with every claim sourced. To vet a locksmith before you call one, read how to check a locksmith is legitimate.

Locksmith scams in the UK: how to spot and avoid them

An unregulated trade: anyone can call themselves a locksmith

The Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), the trade body that runs the UK's main voluntary approval scheme, is blunt about it: "The locksmithing industry is not regulated in any way by the Government in the United Kingdom", and anyone can trade as a locksmith irrespective of their competence, background or motive. The MLA estimates around 6,500 unlicensed locksmiths are trading in the UK, compared with just over 340 companies that have passed its approval process of vetting (including DBS checks), regular inspection and a practical exam.

Two things follow from that. First, there is no licence to check, so vetting falls entirely on you. Second, claims like "police approved locksmith" are false by definition: the MLA says there is no such thing as a police approved locksmith.

How the scam works

1. Fake local listings

You search for a locksmith nearby and find what looks like a local firm. In reality many of these listings are fronts for nationwide call centres that subcontract the job to whoever is available, and will not tell you the name of the person coming. The MLA lists refusal to name the attending locksmith, and false claims of trade-association approval or DBS checks, among its red flags, and Which? found victims lured in by sponsored search ads that looked legitimate, so check the web address matches the firm you think you are calling.

2. Bait pricing

The advertised price is £39, £49 or £59. The MLA calls this the "locksmith 49er scam": the low price gets a van to your door, and the final bill runs to hundreds or even thousands of pounds. In a Which? survey of MLA members published in April 2024, 75% said rogue locksmiths often quote an unusually low price up front. Real cases bear it out: Hertfordshire Trading Standards reported prices as high as £3,000, for "10 minutes' work and a substandard lock" , and a BBC London investigation published in February 2026 heard from an elderly couple quoted £49 and invoiced £2,802, with the firm caught on secret camera quoting £40 for a door opening and billing the BBC £376.80.

3. Unnecessary drilling

A skilled locksmith attempts non-destructive entry first; drilling is a last resort. Trading Standards officers describe rogues whose "cheap price comes at the price of the lock being drilled" because they lack the skill to open it without damage. Drilling destroys the lock, which conveniently creates a second charge: an inflated price for a replacement, sometimes a poor-quality one. In the Which? case study the rogue charged £120 for a part an MLA-approved locksmith priced at about £16.

4. Payment pressure

Which? reports victims being forced to pay in a particular way, such as in cash, and being kept vague about prices. Trading Standards notes that the rogue always brings a mobile payment device, leaving people intimidated into paying well over the initial quote. The MLA also warns about traders setting up a continuous payment authority on your card; if that happens, your bank can cancel it.

Rogue-locksmith complaints to the Master Locksmiths Association rose 66% between 2021 and 2025, from 242 to 402 reports a year.

What legitimate locksmith work costs

Figures below are from the Master Locksmiths Association's published price guide (2026) and its call-out charges guidance. Prices vary by region and time of day; treat them as a sanity check, not a quote.

Job	Typical price (from)
Labour, standard hours	~£85/hour (£95 in London)
Emergency labour	~£85/hour, ~£105/hour after 8pm; in London ~£122/hour, rising to ~£153/hour after midnight
Gaining entry to a house	~£90
Euro cylinder replaced and fitted	~£105 standard, ~£137 anti-snap
Mortice lock fitted	~£148
Night latch fitted	~£116

Most emergency locksmiths do not charge a separate call-out fee. Before anyone travels, the Master Locksmiths Association suggests asking three questions: is there a call-out charge or minimum labour charge, what does it cover, and is VAT included.

Your rights if you have been ripped off

Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49

Every contract to supply a service includes a term that the trader must perform the service with reasonable care and skill. Drilling a lock that could have been picked, or fitting a substandard part, can breach it.

Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 51

Where no price was agreed before the work, you owe a reasonable price and no more. Be aware this section only applies where the price was not fixed beforehand, so avoid verbally agreeing a number under pressure on the doorstep.

Section 75, Consumer Credit Act 1974

Paid by credit card and the job cost over £100 (and not more than £30,000)? The card provider is jointly and severally liable for the trader's breach or misrepresentation. For debit cards, ask your bank about a chargeback instead.

Report it

Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland goes to reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040, and in Scotland to Police Scotland on 101. That service replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025. To reach Trading Standards, go through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England, or Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000.

Complain and recover

If the firm claimed MLA approval, the MLA investigates complaints against its members (01327 262 255). Misleading adverts can go to the Advertising Standards Authority, and sums under £10,000 can be pursued through the small claims track online.

Checklist: hiring a locksmith safely

Choose a locksmith before you need one, and save the number. London Trading Standards also advises ignoring stickers at the entrances to shared buildings, a common rogue-locksmith trick.
Check the MLA approved-company directory at locksmiths.co.uk, and confirm the company's website, name and address match the firm you think you are calling.
Get the cost broken down into call-out charge, labour and parts before anyone travels, and ask whether VAT is included. Telling them the lock type and the door material lets a genuine locksmith quote by phone or email.
Ask whether they attempt non-destructive entry first. Hesitation is a red flag.
Ask to keep the packaging of any new parts fitted, so you can verify what you paid for.
Do not pay in full under pressure for work you did not agree. If a trader becomes intimidating, call the police.

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Frequently asked questions

Are locksmiths licensed or regulated in the UK?

No. The Master Locksmiths Association states that the locksmithing industry is not regulated in any way by the government in the United Kingdom, so anyone can trade as a locksmith regardless of competence or background. The MLA estimates around 6,500 unlicensed locksmiths are trading in the UK, against 340 or so companies that have passed its voluntary approval scheme (vetting, inspection and an exam). There is also no such thing as a police approved locksmith, so treat that claim in any advert as false.

Source: Master Locksmiths Association: Are locksmiths licensed?

How much should a locksmith cost in the UK?

The MLA's 2026 price guide puts typical labour from around £85 an hour (from £95 in London), with emergency work from around £85 an hour, rising to around £105 an hour after 8pm, and in London from around £122 an hour up to £153 an hour after midnight. Gaining entry to a house starts from about £90, and a standard euro cylinder replacement fitted from about £105. Most emergency locksmiths do not charge a separate call-out fee. If a phone quote of £39 to £59 turns into a bill of several hundred pounds on the doorstep, that is the classic bait-pricing pattern.

Source: Master Locksmiths Association: Locksmith prices (2026 guide)

Should a locksmith drill my lock?

Usually only as a last resort. The MLA says a legitimate locksmith will attempt non-destructive entry methods first, and Trading Standards officers describe immediate drilling as a hallmark of rogue operators who lack the skill to pick or bypass a lock. If someone reaches for the drill the moment they arrive at an ordinary lockout, question it before they start.

Source: Master Locksmiths Association: Locksmith scams, how to spot a rogue locksmith

What can I do if I have been overcharged by a locksmith?

You have rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015: the work must be done with reasonable care and skill (section 49), and where no price was fixed you only owe a reasonable price (section 51). If you paid by credit card and the job cost over £100, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the card provider jointly liable. For debit cards, ask your bank about a chargeback. Report the trader through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133), which passes cases to Trading Standards, and report fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040.

Source: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 51 (reasonable price)

How do I find a legitimate locksmith?

Pick one before you need one, as London Trading Standards advises, and ignore the stickers rogue traders leave at the entrances to shared buildings. Search the Master Locksmiths Association's approved-company directory at locksmiths.co.uk, check the company has a real local address, and get the cost broken down into call-out, labour and parts before anyone travels, asking whether VAT is included. Telling them the lock type and the door material helps a genuine locksmith quote accurately in advance.

Source: London Trading Standards: Locked out? Don't be caught out too (March 2025)

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Sources

Every factual claim on this page comes from the sources below, checked 19 August 2026. Prices and statistics are the named publisher's figures, not ours.