A Carson City man found out this week he was a victim in a nationwide scam that's been going on for years.
Harry Koch, owner of Bonanza Plumbing, got a call Monday from John Heyer of Carson City Locksmith. Heyer told him a company called Hi Tech Locksmith Service was using Koch's address on Alder Street as its own on Internet postings.
A check with Carson City business licensing revealed there is no such locksmith licensed in the city or with the Secretary of State.
The phony locksmith company's phone numbers go to a call center in Florida, which dispatches a local employee to the call.
Reports received by the Better Business Bureau in various states indicate that the scammers quote one price, but pump up the price once they've done the work, often without the proper tools and destroying the existing lock.
In other instances, victims' credit cards are charged for amounts greater than what was agreed upon.
A Google search for locksmiths in Carson City returned eight results with the same or similar phone numbers as Hi Tech Locksmith. The addresses listed are actually those for a florist, Chinese restaurants, a convenience store, a sandwich shop, or fictitious street numbers.
A customer review on the Web site for the phony locksmiths praises the company, but when you click on the reviewer's name you find that name has left dozens of reviews for locksmith companies around the country.
Koch said the phony company's use of his work address has caused problems with getting items shipped for his plumbing company. On Tuesday, he was forced to change the addresses on his bank accounts so he could continue to do business.
Heyer of Carson City Locksmith said he's known about the scam for years. He has periodically checked online to see if Northern Nevada had been targeted yet.
He said he last checked two weeks ago, "then all of a sudden, the listings popped up here."
John Heyer of Carson City Locksmith said consumers can expect to pay between $50 and $75 to get into their house if they are locked out. Entry into a vehicle averages between $45 and $55.
"I called these guys and I said, 'Hey, I know you're scam artists, get out of our town,'" said Heyer.
Later that night he received a phone call from Florida. "This guy basically told me I was a dead man," Heyer said.
When he reported it to the police, he said the Broward County, Fla., Sheriff's Department told him not to worry about it since the threat was so far away. He said the Carson City Sheriff's Office had a similar response.
Heyer said when he called the Nevada Attorney General's Office to report the illegitimate business operating in the city, they weren't that concerned and the FBI in Reno seemed indifferent as well.
"This is going to hurt the good, legitimate locksmiths in Carson City," he said. "And nobody seems to care."
Communities in Kansas, California, New York, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona and Illinois have been among dozens of others across the country that have been besieged with similar scams since 2006.
The following is a list of the locksmith companies claiming to be in Carson City or the surrounding area and illegally using legitimate addresses:
#1 Solution to Locks Problem
305 W. Gardengate Way
Carson City, NV 89706
(888) 616-5728
(866) 666-8464
#1 Emergency Solution Locksmith Service
3205 Eastlake Blvd.
Washoe Valley, NV 89704
(888) 536-8274
(888) 281-0658
Hi Tech Locksmith Service
820 Alder St.
Carson City, NV 89701
(888) 563-6325
(866) 666-8464
15 Minutes Reply Locksmith Service
1954 Highway 50 E.
Carson City, NV 89701
(888) 644-3512
(866) 666-8464
Provides Assorted Locks Service
100 W Winnie Lane
Carson City, NV 89703
(888) 564-9124
(866) 666-8464
#1 Sastifactory (sic) Locksmith Service
3250 Retail Dr. Ste. 145
Carson City, NV 89706
(888) 616-5728
(866) 666-8464
24/7 Emergency Lockout Service
296 Deer Ct.
Incline Village, NV 89451
(888) 562-0983
(866) 666-8464
Padlocks Locksmith Service
205 Sutro Rd.
Dayton, NV 89403
(888) 693-6414
(866) 666-8464