A fake locksmith scams up to 4,300 euros in Vitoria for changing a bowler hat and leaving a hole

A locksmith has turned on all the alarms in Vitoria after defrauding several people. According to the victims themselves, “he pretends to be an employee of Canuto to gain your trust.” Nothing raises suspicions, until they check the result and the price. In one case he left the door with a hole. And a septuagenarian charged 4,300 euros, five times more than the usual rate. The business was uncovered when the victims, stunned by the cut, went to claim Canuto’s offices: “That person is not from our staff, nor the material used, nor the rate.” They had been scammed.

The last episode, at least that is known, is that of a seventy-year-old lady. She «She was home alone. She went to the cabin and when she returned she realized that she had left the keys inside the house. She asked her neighbor for help, who searched the internet for Canuto’s phone number », recalls her daughter, outraged by what happened. «She introduced herself saying that when it is a holiday or they have a full schedule they turn to him. She tricked them by talking ‘and she got down to business.

Three hours later he left clues of his lack of expertise on the ground. «He opened the door for him and charged him 1,800 euros. He attached a rope to fix the door and told her that he would finish the job the next day ». He did, yes, but for placing the bowler he charged him another 2,500 euros. As if this were not enough, the invoice was made by hand, without the obligatory Ticketbai, which means obstacles to collect from the insurance. In addition, they used Canuto data such as address or name.

smashed door

Outraged by the task, she went to the offices of the Canuto locksmith. Estíbaliz Pérez, manager of the company, could not believe it, history was repeating itself. «She is generating a bad reputation for us, because he does not work for us, nor do we know him. Our squad always wears the official uniform. So far this year we have already received four cases, but we have been dragging episodes for five years, “she denounces. “He gives you impotence, rage…”, she confesses. Because in the case of this lady, the service “at most would have cost 800 euros.” But it is also that “they are installing low-quality locks.”

The victims have already contacted the Vitoria Local Police to file the corresponding complaint. And from the company they encourage those affected to repeat this process to throw more clues into the case. “He searched the Internet for the phone number of the Canuto locksmith, finding and calling the phone number 900 021 655 where a woman’s voice received him and told him that they would call him immediately,” the letter states. “Now you call or look for that phone and it comes out that it is a dry cleaner or another company,” laments another victim, to whom something similar happened.

“My parents’ house had been robbed and I called a locksmith urgently. I searched on Google and they told me that they would send me to a locksmith in Canuto. After the change, they gave him four copies of the key, when five are given. The same thing happened to him, as to another man who had his door “destroyed” to open it. “In the end, Canuto’s people really had to come to fix the damage,” he recalls.