How would this scam work? Why would someone pose as a locksmith specifically?

Instead of getting a local locksmith, it's a "lead gen" service which charges the locksmith $100 or something to get your info. They're placed on the map, but aren't actually there.

The only thing that should come up is actual local locksmiths.

To give my example, if you search for locksmiths or plumbers or any sorts of trades you'll land on a page for "small family locksmith in your small suburb name". Except the site has thousands of urls with the same exact content and pictures, one for every suburb in Australia. Gary the small business owner does not live in my street.

As far as I can tell its a national company with an overseas call center, the scam is that it looks like a local company - at least they can sell a lead gen to someone that can open my lock.

Specifically? Because it’s something people search for. Because it’s something people pay for. If the scammer can get you to pay for “a visit“ upfront, and never show up, they’ve made money.

I've had this happen to me personally on vacation - we were locked out of our rental car, asked a person at the nearby place to call a locksmith to get me back in, and they didn't quote price over the phone. When they got there, they popped the lock and then wanted $200, cash only so you couldn't chargeback, which I learned after the fact is completely outrageous for that service. They had a lot of fake Google reviews that were glowing, overshadowed by the real ones calling out the scam.

I've heard worse happening in other cases where they drill locks and then quote much higher than $200 after they do it, it's sadly common.

$200 for an emergency specialty service is shockingly...fair?

That's exactly what I would think if I were in trouble and hadn't done any research, but in fact it is not. When I needed a locksmith a few years ago, at night, it cost $70.

Probably depends highly on location, company and type of lock. I needed to get into my mailbox after losing the keys. They wanted 150 for literally 5 minutes with a screwdriver (lesson learned!). Of course I'm paying for those years of experience as well as the drive over. I was able to talk them down to 120. Oh and it was during the weekday! I also did research prior and called a few places, they all basically said the same thing: "depends on the lock but probably minimum 100".

The person charging you more than you think is reasonable in hindsight doesn’t make it a scam? It also doesn’t mean you can do a chargeback?

They send out someone in an unmarked van who doesn't have a locksmith license (at least in CA these are a legal requirement and they are required to show it to you). When you ask to see it they tell you they keep it at the office for "safety". That was the extent of my personal experience.

I've read that if you let them work on your property, they will claim your bog-standard lock is unpickable, and charge you an exorbitant amount to drill it (destroying the lock) and replace it.

Almost everyone who calls a locksmith is in a hurry, dealing with something unfamiliar, so people are susceptible to this.