Rogue Locksmith ordered to pay back £700k

Following on from a lengthy legal case, itself the culmination of over 8 years worth of work performed by Scambusters, Trading Standards and the MLA, a notorious rogue locksmith, and regular “star” of Rogue Traders, has been ordered to pay £700,000 following a five-year investigation into his criminal operation in London.

The MLA has been at the forefront of the campaign to catch and convict the locksmith in question, has not only assisted in various Rogue Trader TV programmes he was featured on, but also with one member providing specialist witness services during the trial.

This story was big news, not only featuring in local London media and the Trading Standards Institute’s journal but also at an international level, even being published on the Huffington Post website.

The MLA and all bonafide locksmiths were glad to see this sort of punishment, with not only the hefty jail term (having been given a 4-year custodial sentence) but most importantly the necessity of the perpetrator to pay back the money he scammed out of his customers. This will hopefully act as a warning to any other rogue locksmith out there.

A full history of this “locksmith” can be found on the BBC website which outlines just how prolific a scam artist he was. It’s also good to see the BBC promoting the MLA as a good source of finding vetted and approved locksmiths.

This story highlights the importance of choosing your locksmith wisely. Always look for the MLA approved company so you can rest assured that they’ve met the “vetted, inspected and qualified” criteria.