It's happened to most of us! You're locked out of your car or home and need a locksmith ASAP.

Before you make the call, we have a warning!

A CBS 46 investigation busted phony locksmiths ready to take your money and your security.

We first discovered the scam in Sandy Springs.

Here is how it works:

An imposter locksmith lists their phone number under the same name as a reputable locksmith but the imposter's number is deceptively listed first.

Several victims thought they were calling Sandy Springs locksmith, a local business of 40 years, but when the person arrived, the problems began.

The technicians, claiming to be Sandy Springs, would often break the locks and overcharge to fix the problem.

Burt Kolker, the president of the real Sandy Springs Locksmith says, "They are using our good name for profit".

CBS 46 traced the imposter back to a New Jersey company operating out of a Dunwoody apartment building.

We called the supposed locksmith out to our photographer's apartment. With our undercover cameras rolling, he said he needed to break our lock. We confronted the worker who claims he is just a "technician"

The Associated Locksmiths of America or ALOA put out a warning concerned that similar scams could be happening to legitimate locksmiths all over Georgia.

The Illinois attorney general filed criminal charges after similar scams in his state. They charged unlicensed locksmiths for operating under false names. But in Georgia, locksmiths are not regulated.

One Sandy Springs victim says he is just as concerned with security as he is the overcharge. His college-age daughter was home alone when the scam artist arrived at his house. Dr. Andy Andrews says, "She is by herself the whole week. Who knows what could have happened."