'I was threatened with rape after locksmith scam'

A woman says she received a text message threatening sexual violence the day after being scammed by a rogue locksmith.

Adabela Grace says she was quoted £49 over the phone to get her back inside her home in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, after she was locked out, but once the locksmith arrived the costs quickly escalated to more than 26 times the amount initially quoted.

Grace says she was threatened by the man on her doorstep when she refused to pay him the full amount, and the next day received a text message from the locksmith threatening her with rape.

It comes as a BBC London investigation recently exposed a different locksmith scam, prompting more victims to come forward with claims they were subjected to threatening behaviour by rogue locksmiths.

Grace, who moved to north London following the incident, said the locksmith told her she had a "high security front door" on arrival, and that the new cost would be £189 rather than the £49 agreed over the phone.

He said the cost to change the lock would be £280 to make the door secure.

"The man was fixing the front door for around half an hour and then stated he was finished. He wrote an invoice and stated that I would be charged £1,293," says Grace.

When she told the locksmith she had not agreed to that price and could not afford to pay, she says he became threatening.

Grace says the locksmith started reading out charges that were not discussed in advance.

"I was very frightened and intimidated so decided to give the man £600, which I paid for with my debit card," she said.

"He then stated that if he did not get the remainder of the money by tomorrow morning he would attend the property."

Grace reported the incident to the police, her estate agent and bank.

"The very next day I received a text from the locksmith. It was very sexual and threatening," she said.

The BBC has seen the text sent to Grace and can confirm it was sexually threatening.

"Being sexually aggressive and sexually violent towards me, that spiked my fear levels even higher," she said.

Grace says she reported the text message to the police and Report Fraud - formerly Action Fraud - but feels let down by the lack of support she received.

"I just felt like I wasn't protected, I wasn't safeguarded at all, and I was left alone with this incident," she said.

A couple of days later, she says a legitimate locksmith attended the property to change the locks.

He told her the previous one had only changed the cylinder and that she had been charged for things that had not been fixed.

After BBC London's investigation into scam locksmiths, people who say they have been affected contacted the team with their experiences, providing details about the amount initially quoted, the total amount invoiced, and the names of the locksmith companies involved.

Of the 129 responses analysed:

• 22 said they had experienced threatening behaviour
• The average initial quote was £91
• The average total cost after the work was completed was £773, an increase of 750%
• The biggest bill reported to the BBC was for £2,862

The police tell people who think they have been scammed to contact Report Fraud, which is managed by the City of London Police and used to be called Action Fraud.

Although there is no specific Report Fraud advice for this type of scam, they advise in relation to rogue traders and doorstep scams:

• If you have made a payment: Inform your bank as soon as possible - they can help you prevent any further losses. Monitor your bank statements regularly for any unusual activity.

• You could be targeted again: scammers sometimes re-establish contact with previous victims claiming they can help them recover lost money - this is a secondary scam. Hang up on any callers that claim they can get your money back for you.

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