Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Unlicensed. Untrained. Backpacker. Operating as a Locksmith.
Will he come back and rip off your stuff when you're not home, now he knows he can?
Did he damage the lock while opening it?
This investigation exposes an operator working as a locksmith despite having no recognised locksmith trade qualifications and no security licence.
More importantly, how are international scam networks able to operate within the security industry when locksmiths in NSW are supposed to be regulated by the Security Licensing & Enforcement Directorate (SLED), a division of the NSW Police Force?
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In this video, we conduct an undercover stakeout of a locksmith job that was booked and then cancelled after the customer was targeted by the infamous "$29 Locksmith" scam.
Rather than leaving, we decided to stay and observe what was happening. We weren't hiding—we were parked just two cars away in a fully signwritten locksmith van wearing high-visibility clothing. We simply sat back and watched.
Sure enough, the so-called "$29 locksmith" arrived.
This video is a real-world reconnaissance operation showing what is happening across Sydney's locksmith and security industry. Many legitimate locksmiths are receiving bookings, only to have customers cancel at the last minute, or arrive at jobs to find nobody there. This video reveals why.
If you're a locksmith wondering why jobs are disappearing, or a customer wondering how locksmith scams work, this footage provides a firsthand look at what is happening on the streets right now.
You'll see who turns up, how these operations work, and why so many consumers end up dealing with unlicensed, untrained operators instead of qualified locksmiths.
This is not speculation. This is what we witnessed.
Topics covered:
• Fake locksmiths in Sydney
• $29 locksmith scam
• Unlicensed locksmith operators
• Bait-and-switch locksmith advertising
• Backpacker locksmiths
• Locksmith industry scams
• Consumer awareness and security risks
• Undercover locksmith investigation
NSW Registration: DL86WM
Furthermore, the backpack used is not one that is readily available in Australia, showing this guy came to Australia with tools and the intent to work, so he was most likely recruited in his home country.
If you know this person, "Let Us Know" Does any person in the security industry in Australia know him?
#FakeLocksmith #LocksmithScam #SydneyLocksmith #UnlicensedLocksmith #BackpackerLocksmith #ConsumerWarning #SecurityIndustry #SLED #nswpolice
Unlicensed. Untrained. Backpacker. Operating as a Locksmith.
Will he come back and rip off your stuff when you're not home, now he knows he can?
Did he damage the lock while opening it?
This investigation exposes an operator working as a locksmith despite having no recognised locksmith trade qualifications and no security licence.
More importantly, how are international scam networks able to operate within the security industry when locksmiths in NSW are supposed to be regulated by the Security Licensing & Enforcement Directorate (SLED), a division of the NSW Police Force?
-----------------
In this video, we conduct an undercover stakeout of a locksmith job that was booked and then cancelled after the customer was targeted by the infamous "$29 Locksmith" scam.
Rather than leaving, we decided to stay and observe what was happening. We weren't hiding—we were parked just two cars away in a fully signwritten locksmith van wearing high-visibility clothing. We simply sat back and watched.
Sure enough, the so-called "$29 locksmith" arrived.
This video is a real-world reconnaissance operation showing what is happening across Sydney's locksmith and security industry. Many legitimate locksmiths are receiving bookings, only to have customers cancel at the last minute, or arrive at jobs to find nobody there. This video reveals why.
If you're a locksmith wondering why jobs are disappearing, or a customer wondering how locksmith scams work, this footage provides a firsthand look at what is happening on the streets right now.
You'll see who turns up, how these operations work, and why so many consumers end up dealing with unlicensed, untrained operators instead of qualified locksmiths.
This is not speculation. This is what we witnessed.
Topics covered:
• Fake locksmiths in Sydney
• $29 locksmith scam
• Unlicensed locksmith operators
• Bait-and-switch locksmith advertising
• Backpacker locksmiths
• Locksmith industry scams
• Consumer awareness and security risks
• Undercover locksmith investigation
NSW Registration: DL86WM
Furthermore, the backpack used is not one that is readily available in Australia, showing this guy came to Australia with tools and the intent to work, so he was most likely recruited in his home country.
If you know this person, "Let Us Know" Does any person in the security industry in Australia know him?
#FakeLocksmith #LocksmithScam #SydneyLocksmith #UnlicensedLocksmith #BackpackerLocksmith #ConsumerWarning #SecurityIndustry #SLED #nswpolice
