Locksmith scams usually start with a very low ad price, then add fees on site until the bill is many times the quote. Protect yourself: get a total on the phone, check the Texas DPS license number on the TOPS portal, and refuse a technician who drills a standard lock first. Call WOW Locks at (844) 969-5625.
The Federal Trade Commission has published consumer guidance on locksmith scams, and the pattern it describes has changed little. A city with a lot of newcomers, students and late-night districts, as Austin has, gives that pattern plenty of targets. People search on a phone when an emergency hits, and a scam only needs one panicked click.
Read this before you search “locksmith near me” at 1 a.m.
The Bait-and-Switch in 5 Steps
Here is the pattern the FTC has documented, with only minor updates to the ad copy.
Step 1: The too-low ad. A Google ad or local pack listing promises an unrealistic price, such as a lockout “from” a few dollars. The price exists only to make you click.
Step 2: The national call center. The number on the ad routes to a dispatch operation that is rarely in Texas. The dispatcher takes your address and tells you a technician is “on the way.”
Step 3: The unlicensed contractor. A driver who has no Texas DPS locksmith license and no relationship with the company on the ad shows up in an unmarked car. They are paid per job and incentivized to inflate the bill.
Step 4: The drill instead of the pick. A licensed locksmith can open most standard residential locks without destroying them. The scam contractor immediately drills, which destroys the lock and forces a replacement that is then billed at high markup.
Step 5: The inflated invoice. What was advertised as a bargain is now many times higher once “service fees,” “high security charges,” and “after hours premiums” are stacked on. The credit card terminal is held open until you sign.
None of the five steps works on a customer who knows what to look for.
8 Red Flags Before You Call
Run any locksmith you are considering through this list. One red flag is a warning. Two is a hang up.
1. No verifiable business name
The website lists only a phone number, a generic “we serve all of Texas” line, or no company name you can look up. A real locksmith company has a business name you can search in the Texas DPS TOPS portal, and the name on the website matches the name on the invoice.
2. No license number on the website
Texas DPS requires locksmith companies and technicians to be licensed. The license number must be available on request and is typically displayed on the website. WOW Locks LLC holds Texas DPS (TOPS) license B10595301, and you can look it up by name.
3. No published pricing or only “starting at” prices
A real flat rate company publishes a real rate card. A “starting at” price with no total is the giveaway phrase for a bait operation. The final price never ends near the advertised one.
4. Multiple business names on the same phone number
Reverse search the phone number. If it returns five different company names operating in five different cities, you have found a national lead generation operation. None of them are local.
5. The dispatcher cannot name an Austin neighborhood
Ask the dispatcher to confirm the address by naming the neighborhood. A real Austin company says “you’re in Mueller, near Girard Kinney Park” without thinking. A scam call center says “we are local” and changes the subject.
6. The dispatcher refuses to quote on the phone
Any version of “the technician will quote you on site” is a red flag. Real flat rate companies quote the full price on the phone before any truck moves. WOW Locks does. Yours should.
7. Drilling as the default, not the last resort
A licensed locksmith can open most standard residential locks without drilling. If the technician immediately reaches for a drill on a standard deadbolt, you are being upsold. You can stop the work.
8. Cash only or specific app only demands
A locksmith who insists on cash only, or on payment to a personal account or a specific app that bypasses the credit card chargeback process is removing your only consumer protection. Prefer a credit card, which gives you chargeback options.
How Do I Know If a Locksmith Is Licensed in Texas?
To verify a locksmith is licensed in Texas, search the company name or license number through the Texas DPS TOPS portal. Texas DPS requires locksmith companies and technicians to be licensed. WOW Locks LLC holds Texas DPS (TOPS) license B10595301. If a company cannot produce a license number on the phone, do not dispatch them.
Two deflections signal a scam: “the database is slow to update” and “our license is in the truck.” Neither is a real answer. A licensed company knows its license number without hesitation.
What to Verify Before You Pay
Three checks take about five minutes and protect you from most variants of this scam.
Check the license. Search the Texas DPS TOPS portal by company name or license number. WOW Locks is listed under license B10595301.
Ask for the technician’s individual license. Texas requires technicians to be licensed, not just the company. Ask the technician to show theirs on arrival. A photo on a phone screen is fine. A refusal is not.
Get the written estimate before work starts. The technician should write the agreed price on a service ticket before a single tool is used. If the price on the ticket does not match the price on the phone, do not consent to the work.
What to Do If You Have Already Been Scammed
If you are reading this after the fact, you still have moves.
File with the FTC. Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Include the company name on the invoice, the date, the amount, the truck plate if you have it, and any photos.
Contact the Texas Attorney General. The Consumer Protection Division at the Texas AG’s office takes consumer complaints, including complaints about locksmith charges.
Dispute the credit card charge. You have 60 days from the statement date to file a chargeback with your card issuer. Cite “services not as described” or “fraud.” Attach the FTC report number if you filed one.
Leave a public review. Google, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau all matter to the next person who searches the company name at midnight. Include the truck plate number, the company name on the invoice, and the final amount.
Storm season brings its own scams. If you are in Houston after a hurricane, read the post-storm lock and door guide for the scams that follow storm damage.
The Flat-Rate Alternative
Every fee on a real flat rate locksmith call should be quoted on the phone before dispatch. Every one. WOW Locks publishes its rate card at our pricing page. A car lockout is $89. A home or business lockout is $109. Add-ons such as after-hours service and extra distance are quoted on the call before dispatch, so the total is known before anyone is sent.
Texas DPS (TOPS) license B10595301. Dispatch runs 24/7 with local technicians based in each market we serve.
The version of this story where you do not get scammed is shorter. Visit our about page or our emergency locksmith page for what real local service looks like, and our Austin metro page for the area we serve.
Call WOW Locks
Every add-on is quoted on the call before dispatch.
Call (844) 969-5625. Texas DPS (TOPS) license B10595301.