Deaf mum exploited by locksmith

Suggest your DM gets a couple of spare keys cut

Contact the police, and maybe aged concern.
It sounds like organized extortion/crime.

It's free and easy to set up

Why would you want to give a complete crook your account details, when he already knows your name, address and phone number?

My mum was ripped off last year and I was genuinely furious. We did get her money back but trading standards ect were a bit useless, so I basically plastered his face everywhere online (local fb, watssapp, ect). It probably did amount to an online harassment campaign if I am completely honest but I don’t care, she’s my mum.

Try trading standards ect first, and if you do end up going down the name and shame route, mention that you have done that in your posts. When we posted the guy, several others came forward and it turns out he had changed his business name to avoid all the bad reviews.

Also, reassure your mum that it wasn’t her fault it was him. My mum’s confidence was actually pretty knocked and she kept saying she was stupid and old. Seeing her like that made me want to hunt that man through the woods for sport, but I didn’t think I could get away with that.

Exactly what I was thinking. Sometimes I think people forget how recognisable their usernames are

Or are you the locksmith?

Are you serious?

I saw an article about this sort of scam on TV a while back, they pointed out that when people are in a panic they tend to Google and then pick the first company on the list, which of course are the ones who pay to be there, and sadly often tend to be scammers. It was recommended, that everyone watching, took the time that day, to look up a proper local locksmith, or ask for local recommendations, and then put the number in their phone, so that when and if it were to happen to you, you could just call, and feel confident you were getting someone who wasn't a scammer.

Just in case you're not aware, you need to go through Citizen's Advice in order to get Trading Standards involved OP.

I really don't think OP (or her mother) should "let this one go". Someone has, in effect, stolen a large amount of money. At the very least, it would be good to make others aware of the potential for being scammed. Our police force releases newsletters about various issues and, sadly, scamming, in all its forms, is one of the most frequent topics. They gather information about the scams currently doing the rounds and make sure people know about them. I suspect you wouldn't be quite so forgiving if it had been you or your mother who had lost much money.

Utter scum. The going market rate for emergency locksmiths can be reasonably lucrative for not a lot of difficult work as it is, so he could already make a decent living just working honestly.

It may also be worth reporting him to HMRC - give them his number and any other details you can relating to his online presence - for not giving you a valid VAT number, despite asking.

I doubt they take very kindly to people charging 'VAT' supposedly on their behalf, which never makes it anywhere near them. I'd assume that it counts as fraud/criminal. Let alone all the money that he is earning/extorting and never declaring to them.

He may not have paypal. What then? Just give the account numbee and sort code

The bank can charge back the amount she paid until the company proves that they carried out the work agreed for the cost agreed. I doubt they can justify the increase from £300 to more than £800

message the number saying because of issues you've had with your mum's cleaner/carers/social worker (anything vaguely plausible) you've got cctv installed in her house and have clear footage of everything he did and what he looks like, plus the neighbour willing to give a witness statement, so he has 12hrs to return the money to you via paypal (don't give him your bank details) or you're going to the police.

Honestly I'm not sure the police would really do anything but he might pay up to avoid the potential. If you get nowhere then plaster this all over the local fb groups.

what's that meant to mean? I was trying to help OP

Nope, wrecked the garden and disappeared. Absolutely broke mum as like OP said, Deaf people especially, put a lot of trust into hearing people.

This was a few years ago but still makes me mad, as you can probably tell!

Definitely report but unfortunately I suspect you don't stand a chance of getting anything back. I'm very sorry for your mum.

(On a different subject, it's fascinating noticing who the pp is who thinks scammers 'deserve a second chance' when they've just purposely scammed a Deaf woman out of a lot of money.)

ah I assumed they had completed the work apologies.

OP I don't want to worry you but check he only got her in to her house and didn't actually change her locks, because if he did she needs to call out a real locksmith and get them changed again in case he kept a copy of the keys.

The pricks who did it. The state condition of the garden before, how they left it and who they were to try and locate them. They disappeared after getting money off her and leaving the garden needing thousands of pounds worth of work to fix it to how it was.

maybe OP could set up a go fund me for re imbursement

I’m so sorry this happened.

Definitely speak to the bank and report it they may be able to do a charge back or might refund it.
Last year I got scammed for a roof box was about £180 (feel very ashamed about it now but at the time felt genuine). This was a bank transfer I reported to bank who directed me to action fraud for a report and they refunded the money and I had to read some policies and information about fraud. But the bank sorted it.
Good luck!

You really are, this has been a problem for ages, their whole job is ripping people off