PORTLAND, Ore. - When most of us need a locksmith we open the phone book or look one up on the Internet and dial, but when you do that, are you opening yourself up to being scammed?

For Claudine Werner, it seemed simple enough to go to the Internet and find a local locksmith to change the locks on her new condo.

"I called the number and asked 'are you in Tigard?' and she said yes," Werner said.

Only later would she find out the locksmith was not actually local. She had actually called a dispatcher, possibly located in Arizona, who sent out a technician here in Portland.

When the locksmith arrived, Werner was suspicious. His vehicle was not marked, he did not have a uniform and when it came time to pay, he wanted the check made out to him - $165, much more than she had expected to pay.

It was not until she tried to get her key duplicated that she realized the locksmith had put her home at risk.

Brent Hansen, a reputable locksmith showed KATU News what Werner could not see - not only had she not been given the two original keys for the lock, the lock itself had been set to accept a master key.

"A stranger could have a key to my home," she said.

When KATU News tried to get in contact with the locksmith Werner had hired, Aviram Adi, we were told the man never worked for the company, Complete Locksmith. A week later, we tried again and were told this time that the man was on a long vacation.

The more questions we asked, the more the story changed. Eventually, we talk to a manager, who refused to give his full name, but said the man must have made a mistake.

"This is something that's been widespread across the U.S.," said Les Harvey with Pacific Locksmith Association. "It's really dangerous because you don't know who you're giving your key to or who is working on your safe."

This is what you need to know if you are hiring a locksmith:

• Do not rely on the phone book or the Internet to find a local company - physically verify that the store really exists.
• Check the locksmith's license number with the Oregon Construction Contractor's Board. Any locksmith who is doing work on your house is required to have one.
• Keep the name and phone number of a reputable locksmith in your wallet in case you lock your keys in your car. That way, you are not relying on directory assistance to find a locksmith in an emergency.