My Journey into the Rabbit Hole of Scammers, Scoundrels, ALOA Security Professionals Association & Britney Spears? PART 2

My Journey into the Rabbit Hole of Scammers, Scoundrels, ALOA Security Professionals Association & Britney Spears? PART 2 - Getting Messy

9/23/2013

Please Read Part #1 if you haven't already - Click Here

Part #2 -
After publishing Part #1 of this journey (which you must read first to follow along), I experienced a communication which basically suggested I got it all wrong, that the facts as I have encountered them are not facts at all or could be explained. Well, we are in a rabbit hole and what should we expect? It was suggested to me that my personal journey be retracted to avoid "things getting messy." I am not sure how I can retract the facts I encountered, and I have even offered for someone to point out what is not factually correct. Nobody has.

So I have decided to continue my journey with you all and clean house since I don't want anything being "messy". Take my hand again and PAY ATTENTION, because I don't want any stragglers left behind. I see many locksmiths clinging to ignorance in order to avoid the reality of this journey. Ignorance is bliss for some. The information provided is real and factual.

In Part #1 we discovered a lot things by simply using Google. We found a LOT of locations listed for a LOT of locksmith company names belonging to one "company or individual", but no shops were actually found. We found a phone number of 646-315-8883 which was on a website backlinked from the ALOA Security Professionals Association Inc. (ALOA SPAI) Find-A-Locksmith directory for a licensed member named Liad Messinger a Certified Registered Locksmith (CRL) from a company called Locksmith NYC. The CRL certification is issued by ALOA SPAI. Below are several more company names using that number and they all have different names and locations. So what's the big deal?

Considering that ALOA SPAI has continually sold a narrative that such things are considered inappropriate activity or possibly scammer activity, which is the reasoning why licensing is needed, it would appear to be hypocritical for them to have a member with so many names and no locations, etc. Their member also possesses a state issued license, Therefore, the excuse that licensing will stop this activity makes the entire argument invalid and can no longer be used, discussed, or sold to the media or state and local legislatures.

Essentially, we would have to say now that "there are no scammers, only good locksmiths and bad locksmiths " just as the Florida West Coast Locksmiths Association President Steve Wyman indicated in the SOPL blog article called FWCLA - 10 News Neglected Facts and Mischaracterizations Lead to Wrong Conclusions - Hillsborough County Florida. Mr. Wyman is a member of ALOA SPAI and an advocate for licensing. Maybe he already knew what we discovered in the rabbit hole, but never shared it with anyone because it would interfere with his efforts to pass a licencing ordinance in Florida? Should we as an industry understand that this is the new normal?

We also discovered in Part #1 that Liad Messinger CRL also operates a Lead Generation/Call Center company named L&L Lead Service at 14545 Friar St.Van Nuys, CA. The million dollar question is why does a lead generation company need to have so many different names and numbers? Why not simply promote your brand with a single identity and contact number. That is what AAA, Home Advisor, and many many more have done. We may never know the answer, but in fairness, the question must be asked.

Back into the Rabbit Hole -

As I continue to explore 911 Locksmith Service by searching the number 800-715-3019 using BING, I find many listings across the country from Ithaca, NY to San Francisco CA. I also find something interesting. There are several sites that appear that are not using the same number, but when they are clicked on, they go directly back to Locksmith NYC.

Click on these images to make them bigger if you want to see all the locations. You will even see different addresses for some of the same "company" names.

In Part #1 we discovered that telephone number 646-315-8883 also was found in an online ad, seen below, by a New Jersey company named 911 Locksmith Services.

This all may seem a bit redundant and somewhat boring, but hang in there, I promise you Part #3 will blow your minds! Remember, I was told I got it all wrong. The next discovery in our journey is a ringer. I am not going to tell you how we found it, but I will show that it links to another person we covered in Part #1.

Now Google 1-800-715-3087 and you fall down a rabbit hole so deep you may never find your way home. Hundreds of listings in directories with different names, but we see no actual websites, just directory listings. Let's dissect Affordable Locksmith! We find a creative play on words using the Pop-A-Lock franchise brand name similar to before on the Locksmith NYC website, although not as direct, and they claim that Affordable Locksmith is certified by Association of America Locksmith! Who the heck is that! Where are they located?

When we click on their Contact Us link we only find a form field, but not an address. But, if we click on the WHY CHOOSE US menu button, we see in a paragraph where they mention Detroit, MI. We also see a map with Holbrook, NY listed. Click on the images provide to enlarge them.

Now let's click on their PRIVACY POLICY! As we read how they will place cookie and page tags on your computers hard disk, we learn of something called YLL Communications otherwise identified as Your Local Locksmith. They claim they are licensed across the country and dispatched from the corporate office shown.

When we Google Your Local Locksmith we find www.YourLocalLocksmiths.com. Although it is plural we find the same Privacy Policy but with a different corporate office. An email is provided as well. We also find, after some digging around in the rabbit hole, another site called www.mobilelocalocksmiths.com and it is identical in structure, content, telephone and fax number with one exception. The address is different in the privacy policy and contact page.

As we travel back to the surface of the rabbit hole we return back to Affordable locksmith webpage where we found Your Local Locksmith and we see a link that says PARTNER With US, so we click on it and are taken to www.locksmithjobs.net. This was also covered under Part#1 of this journey and we see once again "Jessica K", however this time we find that the link for her is now for "Liz T" or Elizabeth Topete seen below.

In Part #1 of our journey, we reveal a LinkedIn page for L&L Lead Services which had images and titles of its staff. However, shortly after our journey was published, these images are no longer found; or I just got lost in the rabbit hole. One of the staff is General Manager Rain Barclift. He has become a person of interest in this journey, which you will soon learn about in Part #3.

Rain Barclift, General Manager L&L Lead Service

Part #3
My Journey into the Rabbit Hole of Scammers, Scoundrels, ALOA Security Professionals Association & Britney Spears? Part #3 - Truth in Advertising

11 Comments

Ken Bess link

9/24/2013 02:11:10

I went to the online yellow pages and found a 24 hr locksmith. The number was from somewhere in NYC but the address listed was 300 miles west of the Big Apple.
When the operator answered, all she said was "locksmith" and when I questioned her about where they were located, she hung up on me. I redialed and told her we got disconnected and just wanted to know what their location was. The only thing she would tell me is that she would have a technician contact me.
I asked her why the address listed was 300 miles from her and I said that the address listed was actually my family doctors office location. She stated that it used to be there but was moved.
When asked for the name of a locksmith they would contact, I was told there were no names available to her.
I was hung up on when I told her I was a locksmith and know of none around here that is connected to an NSP.
Very professional, huh?

katt

9/24/2013 04:16:16

someone named kevin hijacked my husbands yelp ad and changed my tel number and other info to fit himself, after doing research found he has at least 6 other scams going on in at least 3 different countries, including a microsoft scam, a employment scam, and a craiglist scam, he is based in ct where i am and the state did nothing. Rabbit hole gets deeper

Dana Ritz link

9/24/2013 09:10:43

I have lots of pros and con thoughts to this whole issue! I have been reading this story from both sides and this "rabbit hole" is only going to get bigger and bigger in my opinion.

First, I do believe in licensing. Mostly to legitimize the industry. So many people ask me for my license and when I tell them that the state of Florida does not require locksmiths to be licensed they are stunned, to put it mildly. We are the industry that can get in almost anywhere, we have access to so many things. The majority of us are legit and follow a basic ethical rule. Why is it that plumbers, electricians, contractors, hairdressers and clowns, yes, clowns have to be licensed but the people that have access to homes and businesses do not? That is my question.

As for the scammer or bad locksmith. I did a search on google for a friends company and all I came up with were companies that I never heard of. One was addressed at a Bank of America, another at a Publix, one was even an intersection. The problem I have is that there is no accountability of the advertiser to verify this information. Where is their liability? Should they be? Our address was used a few times and a play on words to make it seem like you were calling our number but weren't was done but thankfully corrected. I have confronted one such scammer and enjoyed every single minute of it. He arrived in a tiny sports car and I asked him where his tools were. When I took a picture of him and his car, he got very upset but hey.....I was taking a picture of the fence and you got in the way!

Unfortunately, the tool that was created to help people has also been and is being used to destroy so many things in our lives. No matter what we as an industry try to do, there will always be someone not wanting to do anything to try and make things better and there will be that one person or company a step ahead that will figure out a way around it.

WE as an industry need to educate the public. WE as business professionals need to use all our social media means to educate those we do business with. There is an individual in this town that was taught by a convicted felon and uses the same master key all over town. There are people that are doing this business, legally and legitimately that just shouldn't be in this business. It is what it is. There are those that should serve and those that shouldn't.

People come into this industry because many have failed elsewhere and think I can do that because of what they might see on tv. There are those that are merely tinkerers and not really laborers. AGAIN!!! MY OPINION!!!! Over the last 20 or so years I have been in this business, in different aspects of it, I have talked to many people and many times I just walk away shaking my head.

MY OPINION!!! Education is key. Knowing what the hell you are talking about, knowing terminology is IMPORTANT. If you aren't educated how can you educate your customers?

I don't know what the answer is either way, like I said in the beginning there are pros and cons to both sides. I personally am for the licensing for the reasons stated. I am curious about the rest of this story. My mind and thoughts might change some when I read the next section, maybe not but it is definitely a topic that as an industry we need to make some changes.

9/24/2013 12:25:19

Dana

You stated you are for licensing but what would stop the bad guys? Most of those scammers have a license I believe.
Most folks who drive a vehicle have a license. Does that mean they are all good and honest drivers?

9/24/2013 12:26:43

Barry Campbell link

9/24/2013 17:29:19

Dana,

Apparently, you missed a previous blog article: http://www.sopl.us/4/post/2013/06/definitive-proof-that-locksmith-licensing-is-a-con-job-what-your-not-being-told.html

Scammers not only continue to operate in states with licensing, they are legitimized in the eyes of the law and of the consumer because they do have a license. The consumer protection argument for licensing is a complete fraud, as bad as any fraudulent action taken by the scammers.

Tom Lynch link

9/24/2013 18:37:53

Hey Dana! I am so happy to see you here. I thought you moved on from the industry. Welcome back!

Is needing licensing all you got from all this? Really?

I welcome and value your opinion but I am kinda shocked that you have somehow missed all the relevant points in the articles.

The argument about licensing, scammers and any other excuses sold to the legislatures and media is now a DEAD ISSUE.

It is over, the game is over.

Brian Kessler link

9/26/2013 02:31:28

What do you mean by the following Tom?

"The argument about licensing, scammers and any other excuses sold to the legislatures and media is now a DEAD ISSUE.

It is over, the game is over."

I am not for licensing, as I have to deal with the government more than I like to already, and to think that they can stop or improve anything makes the believer look like a fool. I like to hear both sides argue back and forth, but wonder why the "advocates" are so convinced that licensing is good.

Danny Gurvis link

9/24/2013 19:21:30

Dana wrote, "Why is it that plumbers, electricians, contractors, hairdressers and clowns, yes, clowns have to be licensed"...

Those are professions that involve direct contact with the public. Plumbers work with public utilities - water. Electricians with publicly supplied electricity. Contractors are effectively managers that manage other tradespeople, mostly carpenters, electricians and plumbers. Hairdressers use tools that are potentially life threatening, so they require licensing. Clowns tend to work around children so they require to be recognized by the state/city.

Locksmiths are traditionally a hodge podge of other trades rolled into one classification.

Locksmiths are fitter and turners, boilermakers, tool makers, repair technicians, carpenters and metallurgists.

Many of those trades do not require licensing, so why should locksmiths?

You further indicate that knowledge is power. Educating the public requires significant investment that locksmiths cannot afford, even collectively.

In my opinion, the best you can hope for is that you build your business to an ethical contributor to the market. Develop relationships with customers that matter. Forget the wannabe's and concentrate on being other peoples (the market) wannabe's.

Work smarter with the right customers and forget about the ones that get burned by an unpro. They will eventually find their way to someone in the know.

Those that whinge and complain about inferior standards and ethics are really upset that they were unable to capitalize on the burgeoning internet market. So instead of adapting to change they criticize the new reality.

Are you a whinger requiring licensing to protect your arse or an astute businessperson who adapts to challenges and turns them into strengths?

9/25/2013 03:20:27

LOL!!!!

No, licensing is not all I got from the article and yes I did read the prior. Based on conversations I have had with various people, I don't think it is a dead topic. It is just one that is very touchy. Like I said, in MY OPINION, I believe there to be pros and cons to this issue or non-issue however you wish to look at it.

As for the article with the information supplied, it is interesting and scary. There is no solution right now. There is a lot of lack of accountability in many different aspects of the game. But my question to you that asked is did you not read clearly what I wrote? My idea of licensing was not primarily to stop the bad locksmiths or scammers and it has no comparison to having a drivers license. Give me some credit Ken, I am not stupid. It is merely to legitimize the industry. How do you justify other businesses, trades or skills having to provide one and the one industry that has access to so many things does not? Where does that make sense? But like you said.....it is a dead issue....for now.

I didn't miss the points, I understand completely. There is a problem that is right now uncontrollable. My points were about education. My thoughts are to fight back with education. How are we as an industry going to fight back? EDUCATE our customers. I can't tell you how many of the "locksmiths" in this area that are not members of any organization or have attended any type of educational seminar. One will tell you that he does not believe in organized education. His words not mine. Educate our customers.

Barry, I have been working really hard on educating my community. I have taken part in many a networking group and my question to everyone is this: Do YOU know your locksmith? Pretty simple. People will either say yes or no. To which I ask, do you know where your locksmith received their education or let me introduce myself to you. We have "locksmiths" in our area that have been here for many years, like I said, one was taught by a convicted felon. The same one that will master key businesses and use the same damn master all over town. I can't tell you how many copies of this key I have. Or what about the locksmith that re-keyed and master keyed an entire church wrong. Not only were spacing and depths off but it was maison bitted in every cylinder because he didn't know how to master correctly. So this really doesn't have to do with just the scammers from my perspective, it has to do with the idiots that just should not be doing this job. Will licensing work, maybe not. But the thing is, will those that really don't have a clue want to take those steps?

Tom, I didn't just get licensing from that. I got that there is a bigger problem. But where is the accountability? What about ALOA? How do they allow this? Just because the individual payed their membership? Because they have a license? I am not a big fan of ALOA, it is a boys club and will never change.

As for a solution to this problem which apparently is lot bigger than a lot of us even knew about, who knows? Blame game? Licensing? Education? Is there an answer? Someone once told me that unless you have a solution to the problem or even a suggestion on how to fix it, don't talk about it. I am going to continue my fight, however small, in my community. I am going to educate my neighbors. I tell people that if a company advertises an address, Google it first to make sure that it is real and theirs!!! I do that for anything that I am doing.

Tom, I am looking forward to the next chapter of what you have found in your search. I have my own thoughts and ideas, like I said, there are pros and cons like there is to any debate! I promise you I didn't miss what you were saying, I actually find it disturbing and scary but then again....the internet is a scary fascinating place! I have so much more to say but I don't want to take up any more space!!!

9/26/2013 03:42:33

Brian the advocates believe it is good because it is restraint of trade and represents control over others as long as they are excluded. It has been a fraudulent attempt by a minority group within our industry to eliminate competition and nothing more. They have cooked up all kinds of excuses and reasoning to justify their ruse and at the end of the day they still won't be honest even when articles such as these expose the truth.

What is sad and will be an even greater tragedy is to see who continues these lies and the false narratives moving forward. Any political figure who adopts the notion that what has just been presented in these articles is corrupt as far I see.

ALOA SPAI is responsible for the false narratives in my opinion and others and here we find them associated with the same things they have sold the media and legislators as being bad. This is not an over-site on anyone's behalf. That excuse has been used for years.

There is more to this which will be expressed in future follow up articles. If the locksmiths don't get it by now, and they do not push back and demand answers and put a stop to the nonsense, then they deserve the deception and what comes with it.

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My Journey into the Rabbit Hole of Scammers, Scoundrels, ALOA Security Professionals Association & Britney Spears? PART 2 - Getting Messy

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