Scammers - Key Cutters be aware!

[exp121260]

I would like to share this story meanly for heads up to shoe repairers and key cutters. 

It's long but it worth reading incase same come across you .. 

Monday morning this week I was in my shop and was cutting some keys for a customer which supposed to come back for them in the evening. 

Someone came in my shop and was speaking on his mobile phone. 

He did not looking at me or ask for anything  , so I did not stop what I was doing but I was hearing him talking on the phone ! ( Irish accent ) 

He started  by saying to the person he was talking to on his mobile ( pretending to be his wife) 

NO, NO, I am not going to Timpsons I am in the  shop you usually take your shoes ! 

Then said, I cant , I have locked my house keys and my car keys and wallet in the car ! How I can get in the house Liane ! 

All I have is this work mobile phone Liane ( his wife basically he was talking to) , I need to do something about it 

I cant wait until you back from chesterfield 7 o'clock in the evening Liane ! 

I have just fished 12 hour night shift , I am tired Liane ! 

How I can get to Chesterfield, without car , I haven't got no money with me , everything in the car Liane !  

They do not let me on the train , I will try to explain to them my situation , but do not think the let me on the train ! 

Then he said hang on Liane , see if he can get us a locksmith to unlock the car ...

Then he started talking to me and said do you know any good car locksmiths mate.. 

I have locked my keys and everything in the car and then start repeating all he was saying the his wife on the phone .. 

I said I know someone,  this is  the number call him...

He called the number and the locksmith asked the car make and model ( Audi A5 ) he said .. 

The locksmith quoted £120 .. 

The scammer said , OK thanks I call couple of locksmiths and come back to you .. 

Then he said can not pay £120 , because he has spare ones in the house , but he can get into the house until his wife back in the evening ...  7 pm 

I gave him other locksmith's number to call and see if he can pick his house door key  which will be cheaper... 

The locksmith asked what lock he has on the door and he said a mortice lock and BSI cylinder lock with safety pins  ( so 2 locks on his door) 

The locksmith said can get to him until late afternoon and the cost will be £160 for 2 locks .. 

He keep playing , he is in trouble and playing Innocent game .. 

He was in the shop nearly 45 mins.. 

He was keep saying , he goes to the train station and speak to the ticket office and see if they let him on the train without the ticket .. and he pays back when he gets his stuff out of the car! 

then he was saying he has to change in Derby and he has to explain this again to the ticket office .. 

He was playing very well , looking tired after 12 hour night shift  and in need of some help.. 

I wanted to get ride of him as my time was wasting and had to do shoes.. 

at the same time kind of feel sorry for him and wanted to help him .. 

I checked on my computer and train ticket to Chesterfield was £12.50 

  I thought I will give £15  to get him to chesterfield 

if he is genuinely in this trouble and have some sense of humor - he will come back and pay the  money back..

if he is a scam, he played me  and I learn from this for the future.. 

The funny thing is he never asked for money !!!!

but.. they way he was playing he was very good and especially specialised  in putting people like me in a very uncomfortable sanitation which make them to help him ! 

anyways. give him the £15 and then he was asking what I drink so when he brings the money back he get me a drink ..

I told me I do not want any drink from you, go sort your issue .. 

The only thing I can say he was very cleaver at what he was doing ,

The car he was chosen,

The door locks he had on his door

 Were his partner was ( so he has to change his train to get there)

Pretending to be my customer  ( his partner always brings shoes to me) 

knowing Timpson as my competitor

Not asking for money but make you feel guilty if you wont help ! 

I have recorded all the conversations and his actions on my CCTV.. I have reviewed it few times and really amazed how he is playing all that .... 

Sorry , for the long story... just incase if you come across such a thing , I felt like to put it on here so no one else fall in the same trap.

the attached photo taken from my CCTV camera .. 

 

 

[MarkD]

Seems a lot of effort for £15. I'd have been suspicious as soon as he knew what types of lock he had on the door.

[Count Muppet]

Is it not possible that he was telling the truth?

might just be acting strange because it’s not a normal situation for him

[Party Marmalade]

I had a similar thing a couple of years ago whilst being distracted by the alleged scammer phone call to a third party. I was happy to lend £60.00 for a locksmith to gain entry to his "alleged house". I asked for his nice looking watch as collateral, I thought if this guy is genuine then he'd be more than happy and I would be protected (of sorts). He made his excuses to go for a coffee and think about it...never saw him again !

I later heard on the grape vine that a similar scenario played out in a nearby shop. I wonder if he was wearing a watch?

Stay safe and healthy all.

 

[St.Am92]

I would never give money to a stranger in the shop.

I would of said tell your wife to buy a ticket online for you.

I get no end of people trying to sell cloths at inflated prices, never heard of before charities asking for donations, they all get a polite no thankyou bye. Would Tesco  give him £15 ?

[Count Muppet]

2 hours ago, St.Am92 said:

I would never give money to a stranger in the shop.

I would of said tell your wife to buy a ticket online for you.

I get no end of people trying to sell cloths at inflated prices, never heard of before charities asking for donations, they all get a polite no thankyou bye. Would Tesco  give him £15 ?

Agreed. He had a phone, his wife had access to her cards. She could have got him a train ticket online and emailed the tickets. No need to give anyone money

[exp121260]

I totally agree with you guys, never should have given the money. I knew for the fact even if he was genuinely in this trouble and a good guy, still doesn't bring the money back ! The world we live in nowadays is all changed and there is no much room to be kind to many people! 

I get scammers on weekly basis, and always spot them and turn them away. Because if they get you, they tell their mates and come back in different ways.

I have had customers come back and say the key you cut other day don't work. When I try to cut a new key the put the one they said won't work in their pocket. I always take the key from them before cut the other one. 

I am not really pissed off because of the money, but for the time I wasted and to come come across such low life humans that their existence make me feel sick ... 

This just for the heads up incase other guys on this forum encounter threse scenarios and scammers....

[ponsaloti]

I would have told him to go and knock one of his neighbours statics and ask them for a loan.

[abababa]

On 3/20/2020 at 11:23 AM, exp121260 said:

 

This just for the heads up incase other guys on this forum encounter threse scenarios and scammers....

I take it he didn't come back?