Cyber locksmiths could use smartphones to copy house keys

MEMPHIS, TN -

(WMC) - A new warning about home security is on the rise, and it turns out that a smartphone can possibly be the only key that a criminal may need to get your family's possessions.

A simple snap of the camera can copy the key to a family's home, and there is nothing much that a person can do about it except keep a close watch on where they are placing their keys.

"As a locksmith, it seems a little shady," Triple A Safe and Lock employee Chase Warren said.

You probably do not think about how often your keys are out of sight. Imagine how keys are being handled when they are at the car repair shop or even the car wash.

In fact, the spooky thing is that someone can even take a quick photo while your keys are laying on your office desk. But, in less than a minute, those keys can be copied and your safety compromised.

Cyber locksmiths are a dime a dozen these days thanks to new key duplication apps like, Key Me.

Greg Marsh is the founder of KeyMe, which is an app that allows you to scan images of keys and order duplicates. The camera takes a close up of the front and the back of the key.

"We're basically trying to make it really easy to copy keys and solve lockouts," Marsh said. "And we have developed some amazing technology which can actually extract the geometrical features of your key from that photo."

It only costs a few dollars for the copied key and it can be sent wherever and to whoever wants it.

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Cyber locksmiths could use smartphones to copy house keys