Comments on: Google Maps Proves More Locksmiths in NYC than Cabs

By: james D

james D — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:02:45 +0000

In Los Angeles they have spread to different industries. What they do is buy 1000′s of DID numbers at about $1 a month. Then they go and get 100′s of P.O. boxes (Basically one box at each physical location) Then they enter in a unique listing for every phone number they have. So one P.O. box can have 20 company listings (BTW Business P.O. Boxes do not disclose that they are PMB’s like personal P.O. Boxes)

Here one P.O. box is home to 3 Towing Companies, 3 Locksmiths, 3 Garage Door Repairs, 3 Bail Bond Offices. Each with a unique phone number thus each getting a unique listing on YP.com and Google maps.

One guy has control over all these listings. 1500 bail bonds, 1000′s of locksmiths, and 1000′s of towing. He just waits for people to dial 411 and ask “locksmith” he will get the call.

I was told that 411 Directory assistance will take all the business listings from a 5 mile radius of your call then randomly pick one to give you when you call. He is just playing the odds and winning.

If you want to see his handy work search under google maps just a couple of his company names:

“1 Emergency Towing”
“00724 hour bail bonds”

He operates using several names for each industry. As far as I was told the vast majority of his business is from Directory Assistance. Google Maps was a happy accident (apparently google populates its maps using yp.com and superpages.com listings.) He has been doing this for years without stop. I do not see how he can be stopped.

By: JDandy

JDandy — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:28:52 +0000

Google Promoted Nationwide Locksmith Fraud
Has put 50% of Locksmiths out of business nationwide and in WA STATE.

Calls nationwide meant for local locksmith companies are intercepted and routed to call centers.
By overwhelming the Google Maps and 411 directory assistance
with thousands of fake Locksmith listings every city.

Fraud: $15 $19 $25 10%off Locksmith Fraud (Every city and business name)

Arrests made Nationwide: But Fraud Continues – (Except North Carolina).

Postal Inspector Affidavit :
Money Trail leads to this company:
EL-AD Group Holding Inc – Israel / New York city
(Israeli Telecom and Internet Technology)

Subsidiaries:
Run-local-locksmith.net Nir Sibsony, Hayim Bennamer
Enterprise-Locksmith.com Idan Kadosh
usatotalsecurity.com E. Cohen, Ezra Cezar Cohen-Haddad
P.O. Box 1140
HackenSack N.J 07602
Basad Locksmith Peleg Forman
Dependable Locksmith Ellyahu Barhanun, Moshe Aharoni, Peer
(arrested by Postal Inspectors)
Global-Locksmith.com Moshi Mizrahi
Priceline locksmith Bronx’s Shlomo,Gilad Gill, D. Sasson
Sued by Attorney General –
(changed their name)
ReliableLocksmith.com Boaz Yadid
247Locksmith.net Idan Kadosh
P.O. Box 701
Portland OR 97207
LocksmithServices.com
Locksmith Services Inc Tamir Avraham Charlotte NC

Thousands of Fake listings nationwide in the 411 directory assistance
7,689 Fake Locksmith listings – Seattle WA Dex White Pages 2009-2010
1,265 Fake Locksmith listings – Omaha NE Dex Whtie Pages 2009-2010

Consumer bait and switch pricing, (Quote $19 plus surprise labor fee can be hundreds of dollars.)
All workers are Illegal Israeli foreigners
(not locksmiths) passports do not permit work in the US.
All cash operation – Workers intimidate and threaten to call police if the consumer doesn’t pay.

See:www.RipOffReport.com / Locksmith

See: You-Tube: Locksmith Fraud, Scam, Bogus, Ghost Locksmiths.

See: Google: Dependable Locksmith Fraud Clearwater FL, arrests made.

The Answer:
Stop Google from promoting the Nationwide Fraud $15 $19 $25 10%off Locksmith.
Remove the 10′s of Thousands of fake listings from the 411 System.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:28:55 +0000

They cant stay in this maket very long and google needs to stand up for us…….

By: Loci2009: Gib Olander’s Important Trends and Directions in Local | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:25:13 +0000

[...] Google Maps Proves More Locksmiths in NYC than Cabs [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:36:18 +0000

@Nathan
Yes a look in the eye is always good. But better would be to pick the locksmith that you want to work with ahead of time, get references from friends and KNOW who you are dealing with.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:57:01 +0000

I live in Sydney and run a mobile locksmithing business, my advice to consumers is to ask the locksmith lots of questions over the phone. A good locksmith will be able to answer any and all questions quickly, if they are evasive or hesitant thats a warning sign.

By: Steve Sam Jones

Steve Sam Jones — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:08:38 +0000

As a Phoenix business owner, I have found that my competition never plays by the rules. Im not sure if its there heritage, or what but 13,000 locksmiths in Phoenix is ridiculous. Something needs to be done by Google to knock the grotesque spam that is bringing consumers to their knees

By: RS

RS — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:47:18 +0000

This issue is something that will have to make google grow the **** up. This is not something that can handled manually anymore, with someone looking up at this or other particular listing and mend it. Its already in such a magnitude, that it requires serious action. Starting by taking off that application till they find a solution. The current situation, where innocent people many times in an emergency, are left to the hands of petty theives and legit locksmith businesses listings are a tiny drop in the ocean of frauduelent listings, is unacceptable.

By: ACME

ACME — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:19:09 +0000

As the owner of a legitimate lock and security company, we did a similar search and found 13,000 locksmith shops in Phoenix. That's 1 locksmith for every 100 homes! Naturally, they're all bogus addresses but we are working very hard to help educate consumers on the issue. We recently launched our www.acmelocksmith.com that talks in detail about locksmith fraud, the tactics used by these companies, and how consumers can best protect themselves. Keep up with the good information Mike!

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:36:19 +0000

@Chris

Google might be but I certainly am not endorsing it.