Locked out of my place at 1:30 am on 3/14/15.
Called one of those "call-center" numbers that came up on the top of a Google search and it just sounded shady.
HOW TO SPOT: 1) A shady website will say "local" an awful lot, and they'll list a bunch of towns that they service 2) A genuine company's website will (generally) have pictures of their van(s) or storefront because they know that the shady ones don't have that 3) Reviews: even these aren't fool proof, because the shady companies still do that to seem legit, you need to sort through the BS ones. 4) If you call a number and they say a "technician will call you back", it's a scam. No one should have to call you back. 5) Never fall for the $19 or $39 "15 min or less" tag line. Depending on the time of day, it should cost about $100 to pick your lock and it'll take 3 seconds.
NJ Locksmith - I got their name from my apartment's management company, again it's 1:30 am, and I was a little weary of the name (because that's the typical generic name most shady companies use). But then I saw their website - complete with address, van pics, and a little history about the company. That was enough for me.
I called them up and they said they'd be there in 20-25 minutes. I said I was bringing cash so how much exactly do I need (that's a good way to dissuade a potential scam artist too, sometimes). The guy comes, nice big van with company info all over it, and no drill - that's key. If they show up with a drill, just stop it right there. 99% of the time they can pick it.
So this guy was great, he picked the lock in 3 seconds flat, I paid him the $120 (no problem with that price at that hour, the poor guy looked real tired.)
I had just spent about 15 minutes reading about the whole scam that I almost fell victim of, so the fact that I just spent 2 hours outside in the cold, and this guy didn't take advantage of me made me give him the firmest handshake most genuine thank you ever.
There's something to be said about someone who can clearly rip you off, but doesn't. I don't know, maybe I'm jaded and shouldn't expect so little of people, but I don't think I'm alone in that.