Toddler Rescued From Arcade Machine by a Locksmith

On March 1^st, at a restaurant in Perth, Australia, a toddler made his way through the prize door of an arcade claw machine and became trapped inside. When the mother of the boy and the restaurant staff saw where the boy was, they immediately tried to find the keys for the machine. Unfortunately, the claw machine was the only machine that they could not find the key for. To get the little boy out, they opted to call the local locksmith.

After arriving on the scene and assessing the situation, the locksmith realized he would need more tools than what he originally brought. After swinging back by his shop for more specific tools, the locksmith returned and picked the lock. The kid was reunited with his mother and the claw machine was promptly removed to avoid further incidents.

Let us hope that this was a learning experience for all of those parties involved and everyone who reads the story. Unthinkable as the story may seem, it happened. If you are going to have games and arcade machines in your establishment, be sure you have the keys for them. Tell your kids not to climb into machines, even if they do fit in there. But yeah it was a toddler, so kind of hard to tell them that.

Looking at the pictures of the machine, it is hard to see even a little kid fitting through there. Or maybe it is just hard to tell the scale from pictures. It is like when they tell you a mouse can fit through a half inch hole, unless you see it yourself, you probably would not believe it.

Here is a link to the  full story and pictures taken by the boy’s mother:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1257423/Sweet-toothed-toddler-climbs-INSIDE-lolly-machine-guzzle-sweets--gets-trapped-inside.html

A Different Kind of Locksmith Scam

I’ve been reading about this guy in Canada who was recently arrested for fraud charges, after the police had received multiple reports of a guy going door to door asking for money to hire a locksmith. His claim was that he had been locked out of his house and needed money to hire a locksmith to come and open his door for him. He promised to repay the money to those home owners that he visited, but of course he never did. The reports listed that he had done this at dozens of houses.

So I guess this is a step up from asking for money on the street corner. Even then you don’t know if that person is actually in need. A good number of people make a living off of grifting. The person will go out with their sign or just themselves and ask passers by for money. Then they get picked up by their accomplices at the end of the day.

This of course ruins things for the true homeless and destitute, which need a helping hand.

Back to the Canadian story, I wonder how much this guy actually got doing this. The fraud claim against him is for counts under $5000, but I still wonder how much. Generosity varies from person to person. He may have been a very convincing character, but only those involved know for sure.

Electronic Key Impressioner in the works to eliminate key codes.

Designed by Steve Randall and Ted Schwarzkopf, to help locksmith’s create car keys with out the key cut codes, the Electronic Key Impressioner (EKI) device is designed to scan the inside of a car lock and return the code to the operator of the device. Retrieving the code must be done through an internet connection through the USB port on the Key Impressioner. The device and its software are still in development and presently said to only work on Ford cars. Once you have connected the device to a car door and selected a car model type on the software, the key code will be retrieved.

When it is released, the EKI will be made available for purchase by licensed locksmiths. Of course, there is always the potential threat of car thieves using these devices to their advantage. Security will be handled by the fact that the EKI must be connected to the internet to function properly. Any device that isn’t properly registered will be remotely deactivated when it attempts to get key codes. If the device makes it out to market, we will see how true it is. And even if a thief gets the key, many cars now have secondary devices required for the car to start.

Regardless of potential security risks, the EKI does appear to be a handy little gadget that will save locksmiths some time in getting replacement car keys to their customers.

Biometric Deadbolts

What was once a staple of futuristic and top secret companies movies has been entered for sale on the public market. Biometric locks were always apart of those sci-fi compounds and high-class government buildings in the films and television shows we watch, now you can own one for you own home. They range from the moderately priced to the fancy and expensive. But as usual, it is assumed that you get what you pay for. The better the quality of lock, the better it will be able to scan your fingerprint.

Most of the units do still employ standard keys as a backup, because these are electronic devices, which do fail from time to time. And they run on batteries, so you don’t want to be locked out because the lock’s batteries are dead. Some of the locks feature keypad lock codes as well, but again these rely on there being power to the lock. Depending on which lock you get will determine the number of fingerprints that you can store on it. In addition some locks let you configure levels of access for those prints from full access for you and your family, a one time entry for service technicians, or certain days of the week for scheduled cleaning staff and the like. Overall it is a pretty neat device.

Security may be at risk, since someone just needs your finger. And since many of the locks still employ keys, they can potentially be picked. At this point the pros outweigh the cons, and this is a viable new form of home locks.

Here is a clip demonstration a fingerprint scanning deadbolt lock.

How Can You Tell If Your Customer Is Tricking You?

We have all read about the Locksmith scams that certain companies have been running. But what if the circumstances are reversed? How does a locksmith know when they are being tricked? I haven’t been able to find any stories on the topic, so I’m not sure how much it happens, or if it gets reported. It is just a thought that has popped into my head.

For example:

Scenario 1—You get a call for a car lockout, you get to the location and see somebody standing by the car. But do you really know if it is their car? Their driver’s license doesn’t say what kind of car they own, if any. Can a locksmith run a DMV check? I guess you can figure what would be the point if the person did not have their keys locked inside the car. But again some random person may have walked by the car and saw the keys inside. So there must be some gut instinct on the locksmiths’ part. And of course you would hope that they would act on it.

Scenario 2—You get a house lockout call. This may be a little easier, because a Driver’s license or I.D. card does have your home address listed on it. Then again the card could be fake. Or it could be some irate ex-spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. Sure they have the right address on the card, but they may not live there anymore. And who knows what their plans could be.

So yes these are worst-case scenarios, but I was just wondering how often locksmiths get tricked by their customers. And in that case, where does the liability fall?

The Typical Situations In Which You Would Want To Call a Locksmith

Everybody faces some unforeseen obstacles at some points in their lives. And on one end of the spectrum are problems that arise due to problems related to locks. Of the numerous reasons one would call a locksmith, the leading causes for needing a locksmith are in most cases:

• You are out in the middle of nowhere and you have locked yourself out of your car.
• You have left your keys on the table while you rushed out of the house and thus locked yourself out of your home.
• You have misplaced or lost your keys.
• You broke a key off your key in the car ignition or a house lock.
• You have moved into a new house and want to get the locks replaced or re-keyed.
• You need to get a deadbolt lock installed.
• You need a lock fixed.
• You need to have keys made. Whether it is a set of extra house keys, or a replacement key to your car.
• You need to get a safe opened and you have lost the combination. You need to get a safe installed.
• You need to get the lock on your file cabinet opened.
• You need a padlock picked open.
• You need a mailbox lock installed, fixed, or replaced.
• You want a master system installed in your office building.
• You need a door buzzer entry system.
• You need keyless door lock systems installed.
• You want a Closed Circuit Television System installed.

It is a good idea to keep a list of local locksmiths on hand should you ever need one. And it is an even better idea to do your own background checking on the companies before you need them.

Going into business for yourself is a dream that many aspire to. Here are some helpful hints to get you started on your research and looking forward to being your own boss.

The first thing to do is to be honest with yourself about your locksmithing skills. Are you proficient? Do you need to go to school to learn more?  Before investing time and money in starting your business, be sure it is something you want to do and can do well. Knowing how to do every locksmith job is ideal, but it is always good to try and specialize in specific fields as well.  You can learn to do everything, excel at auto lockouts, re-keying, and so forth. Starting a business will cost some seed money and require getting a loan, if you don’t already have the money that is. If you were not independently wealthy, your next move would be to contact the Small Business Administration (SBA). They can help give you an overview of all of the startup cost, fees, and risks you will face.

A bit part of the startup cost would be where you set up your office. If you plan to rent an office space, your cost will be significantly higher than if you worked from home. It might be a good idea to work from home to start out with and work up to getting an office space as your business increases.

Next you will need to determine the cost needed for all of your locksmithing tools and a vehicle to carry them around in. The ideal automobile tends to be a van, due to its abundance of storage space. Once you have set up shop you will need to advertise yourself to the local businesses, homes, and apartment complexes in your area. The best way to do this is by introducing yourself in person, handing out flyers, and handing out business cards.

Working As A Locksmith Without a License is a Criminal Offense

As all Locksmiths should know, you are required to be licensed in your state to gain employment as a locksmith. Part of getting a license includes passing a criminal background check by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). If you get caught performing locksmith services without a locksmith license, you could easily face heavy fines and potentially jail time. In many states locksmith tools are viewed as burglary tools. So if you are in possession of them and not a licensed locksmith, you may have a hard time explaining them to local law enforcement. So lock-picking hobbyist shouldn’t carry their lock pick tools around with them.

For example in California, practicing locksmithing without a license can carry a fine of $10,000 and up to a year in prison. If you have any concerns, you should look up the locksmith laws for your state. Most states have some similar rules.

An excerpt from California State Assembly Bill 2592:

6980.13.  (a) Any person who violates any provision of this

chapter, or who conspires with another person to violate any

provision of this chapter, or who knowingly engages a nonexempt or

unlicensed locksmith, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a

fine of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in a

county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and

imprisonment, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.

Locksmith Software Companies: BLACKHAWK Products

If you lookup Locksmith Software in search engines, one of the highest results is Blackhawk Products. On their website they have a large collection of locksmith software for purchase. A multitude of them are combination generators, key code databases, and dispatching program.

Here are some of those programs:

• Desktop Dispatcher—Track jobs performed, work orders, work histories, employee earnings reports, as well as stores pictures and audio files.
• COD: Codes on Disk: A set of millions of key codes. Codes to automobiles, combinations, and other cutting information.
• MEDECODE: You can track key cut codes you’ve given to customers for future reference. Includes a random code generator. You can specify the types of cuts and reverse engineer a key code by the cuts on the key.
• KBX: Key Blank Cross- Reference. A databank of key blank styles and companies that make them. And what blanks can be used as substitutes for other keys.
• Fill: Shows you the possible key cut combinations are available for a certain automobile.
• PIN: Shows you what types of pins to use in your lock cylinders. You can use this program to create pinning charts to your keys.
• RMP: Reverse Master Padlock gives you the possible key cuts available for Master locks. The codes are taken from their COD program.

Many of their key code programs are suited to older operating systems, but that doesn’t mean they won’t work on newer OS’. Many of the program’s details refer to DOS, Windows 3.1, and Windows 95. It is good to know that you don’t always have to have the newest software and hardware to operate a business. You still see old DOS machines in appliance stores and for many years in hospitals.

One of the drawbacks of being a locksmith is keeping track of paperwork. Whether it is client information, employee information, lock codes, combination lock codes, and other similar items. Where would we be without technology to help us keep track of all of these things? Luckily, there is the Treskat USA Corporation. They have been selling Locksmith Software for twenty-seven years. They sell software solutions for various tasks a locksmith would face in their daily routines.

Here are some of their products:

• CodeMaster—A database of padlock combinations and lock codes for automobiles, motorcycles, file cabinets, and many more.
• KeyWiz—A program that will help you determine the ignition cuts of your car key by testing it with a partially combinated lock in your car, like a glove box lock. The program will look only for cuts used on the make and model of your vehicle. Used to make replacement Ignition Keys.
• Perfect Master 2009—Used to design massive Master key systems.
• Auto Master—Is a collection of automobile lock information to help a locksmith replace a lost key. Contains detailed tumbler maps of various car locks, so researching unused tumblers can be avoided. Best when combined with KeyWiz.
• Advantage 2009 Business Software—This is a management system for sales records, customers, accounting, inventory, and printing invoices.
• MaxiKey & MaxiCore—These programs allow a locksmith to keep track of all of the re-key pin combinations they have used, so that they do not repeat the sequences on multiple jobs.
• Time Master—Is a dispatching and scheduling program to keep track of all of your technicians’ appointments, days off, work schedules, etc.

Treskat has many useful software solutions, many of which can run in DOS, numerous versions of Windows, and some mention MAC. Software updates are available for a fee or in some cases free.