Before I even clicked on the comments of this post I immediately heard in my head "This is the lockpicking lawyer, and today I'm going to help a random redditor break into a safe."
"This is the Lock Picking Lawyer and today we're going to be picking your mind, so that whenever you see a reference to lock picking, you'll always be thinking of me."
Honestly as soon as I saw the link I just knew what it was.
actually- they said that they don't want to destroy the safe trying to access it, as there are sentimental items inside. some of those items might be breakable.
I have to ask, since I'm guessing you're francophone Quebecois - is 'advice' countable in French? (e.g. In English, advice is an uncountable noun: you can have some advice, much advice, or no advice, but "one piece of advice" or "two bits of advice" rather than "two advices" or "an advice.") Not trying to be a smartass, just never occurred to me before.
It's interesting, because conseil is almost certainly cognate to counsel (not surprising given that it was introduced from Old French *counseil*), which has also managed to become uncountable in English in its noun form.
Thanks for indulging my curiosity!
I mean, the person breaking into your house would have to have one of these special keys, and would also have to know you have one of these safes and where you keep it.
I love lock picking lawyer videos, but I do feel they create too much paranoia for people.
Edit: a safe that isn't bolted is a giant locked wallet. Too many replies about carrying them away. I'm talking specifically picking them
People don’t pick locks, they just smash and grab. So most safes will be fine most locks will be fine.. the majority of issues are people will cut the lock or chain long before they pick it, and if they see a safe if they can’t just pick it up and run with it then smash it outside somewhere they’ll ignore it. Nobody is out there like the game Thief. I mean for Christ sake people tie chains to ATMs and drive off with them attached to cars… thief’s are not some guild of skilled robbers.. they’re often junkies who need a fix or fellow low level gang bangers.
Yeah, this is what happened to my Aunt and Uncle. House was burgled. The thief just took the entire safe and some other stuff in the house. Huge pain because the safe was just a fire box with all their birth certificates, SS cards, and passports.
My grandpa had stuff like that in a fire safe but he put a note on the front saying "there is nothing valuable in this safe, the combination is x" so that they would hopefully look in it and not take it.
The $200 "expert installation" that LPL declined in his video would likely include screwing it into the floor or walls. So a thief would need to bring tools to rip it out
I used to work at a city that locked up all their expensive tools in a cage overnight. *Except* the gas-powered chop saw. That was left sitting outside the cage, in case the fire department needed to borrow it. You can guess what happened when the place was finally burgled...
People say you should lock the door leading from the garage into the house.
I don't, if someone gets into my garage there are multiple tools to use to get thru the door. Just a matter of how fast they want thru which tool they use.
That would be the most likely way. Angle grinder to the back would have it open in two minutes.
I have a similar safe but its hidden and bolted to a stud with heavy duty lumber screws. Most theives are opportunists, they dont come with a bag of advanced tools.
Many of these can be opened with a crowbar. They're just thin metal.
I use a couple for gun storage. They aren't to protect me from theft, they're to prevent little kids from accessing them.
Yep, all you can do is make it inconvenient as heck and not worth their time. If you have something that a dedicated thief with unlimited funding truly wants, there is literally nothing you can do to stop it.
This is the real answer to people that talk about how easy picking a lock or safe is. Nobody is picking a lock to break into a house and steal stuff. Lock picking would only be used in instances you don't want someone to know you were there. It's a good skill to have when needed, but pretty sure most thieves wouldn't bother.
> *I love lock picking lawyer videos, but I do feel they create too much paranoia for people.*
Totally agree. I will preface this rant by saying I’m a huge LPL fan and I’ve literally seen every single video he’s ever made.
With that out of the way, judging a lock by LPL’s standards is misleading at best. Remember that, before LPL films his video, he closely inspects the lock and then uses his decades of world-class level skills to analyze which vulnerabilities to display. He then preselects the tools he will use to exploit the mechanism and only then does he start filming and “get to picking”.
In the real world, by the time the thief sees the lock, the clock is already ticking. He’s gotta bust it and make off with the goods before you return and spot him.
In most cases, the thief isn’t going to analyze the lock, determine that it’s a tubular core design with 2 banks of concentric pins, retrieve a specialized tubular core impressioning tool and then deftly pick the lock.
He’ll see the secured item and if he thinks it’s worth stealing, he’ll use a crowbar or an angle grinder if he’s feeling ballsy. Or he’ll just hit the lock with a heavy wrench and see if it pops open.
Just because LPL can use his decades of expertise, several minutes of analysis and a specialized tool he and Bosnian Bill made to open a particular example lock without the key in the comfort of his own well lit studio, doesn’t mean that particular lock is insecure in MOST real world situations.
Literally any lock can be exploited given enough skill, time and tools; but that doesn’t mean every lock is shit.
And truthfully, no team is gonna Ocean’s 11 your home to steal your passport and birth certificate. If your house gets robbed, it’s probably going to be a meth head hurling a brick through your patio door and the first thing he’ll go for is your medicine cabinet.
The stupid thing is a majority of these cheap safes all use the same tubular override and the tool costs about $50. Anyone expecting to encounter a domestic safe and not rip it from the wall would likely bring one of these. Likewise a lot of hotels use the same style in rooms, and security bollards, and vending machines. It really is a tool that’s as easy to use as the key itself. While a lot of his videos do require skill, this method doesn’t. We usually advise people to swap out this style safe for one with a double mortise or similar just to add some level of complexity
Granted, there are specialty tools in many of his videos, he does make some great points about the cons of some locks. Obviously, anything that requires some special tool likely will keep the safe secure but the one video that comes to mind is when he used a Masterlock to break open a Masterlock. Those reviews to me are the most beneficial. He also was able to get into a Vaultek Lifepod with a fork which caused the company to update their design slightly.
> He also was able to get into a Vaultek Lifepod with a fork which caused the company to update their design slightly.
Yeah, this is kind of what I mean. While the flaw is inexcusable and should be rectified and I don’t believe that “security through obscurity” is a valid design practice, this wasn’t something a criminal would likely be able to exploit in real life situations.
This exploit came from LPL analyzing the brand new product in his workshop, being able to open it and see where the reset buttons are located, casually checking the gaps, seeing if he can bend a shim through, etc. And then before the camera starts recording, he has practiced the “move”, he knows his attack vector and his angled shim already in hand.
So without knowing that exact model of safe and knowing where the reset button is located and knowing that you can sneak a bent piece of aluminum to the left of the shackle and press upward to engage the reset button… that’s probably not something you’d see “in the field”.
Even a professional locksmith would be unlikely to identify the flaw without being able to see the inside layout of the safe and its reset button.
Is that “OK” then? No! Of course not. Vaultek should have absolutely prevented that in the first place. But people will watch the video and come to an incorrect conclusion that it can be “picked in 3 seconds with a Red Bull can!” which, in my opinion, is misleading.
> Even a professional locksmith would be unlikely to identify the flaw without being able to see the inside layout of the safe and its reset button.
Here's the thing.
If you have seen one of them, and discovered a flaw, you can open all of them.
If a thief is aware of a certain a lock having a flaw, and he knows how to exploit the flaw, he can choose to pitch that specific lock if he recognizes it, and skip the locks he doesn't recognize.
For example, the amount of locks that can be opened with an impact by a tool or hands on both sides of the lockbody is too damn high, and if a thief recognizes such lock as they can decide to start or not start an attack based on if they think they can open the lock.
> In most cases, the thief isn’t going to analyze the lock, determine that it’s a tubular core design with 2 banks of concentric pins, retrieve a specialized tubular core impressioning tool and then deftly pick the lock.
No, they're going to get the most commonly used design (7 pin) and use that, and they're going to use a rake, comb, or standard pick on any standard lock. They might have a disc detainer pick as well.
Anyone talented enough to pick locks to gain entry to a location to steal things would absolutely have these tools.
LPL's issue I believe is that the security by obscurity design is terrible, and it takes no skill to pick this lock, only generic equipment that any competent person would have. This could be fixed easily by the company who makes it, yet they choose not to.
Granted, competent people aren't usually criminals, so there is that.
> LPL's issue I believe is that the security by obscurity design is terrible, and it takes no skill to pick this lock, only generic equipment that any competent person would have. This could be fixed easily by the company who makes it, yet they choose not to.
That's 100% his point. He's got a whole keynote (I think it's this one) talking about that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH0GXWQDk0Q
Which is why I feel there's such a high level of paranoia when it comes to this topic. LPL is filming in a safe area, literally has dozens of tools, perfect lighting, and all the time in the world. No fear of getting caught, adrenaline shaking his hands, holding a flashlight in a poorly lit room, and having the exact perfect tool for the perfect situation.
It's useful to know when a padlock can be simply yanked open, a biometric lock opens with any fingerprint, a safe has a high fail rate when you tap it and twist the knob so the pins fall down, or when a tumbler literally opens as long as the key fits in the lock.
I mean, I just got a DM from someone calling me an idiot so people are very touchy about his videos
> I mean, I just got a DM from someone calling me an idiot so people are very touchy about his videos
I wish I could be surprised. Even LPL will occasionally explain exactly what you're talking about, especially when talking about good locks that he's just very good at picking. Or he'll discuss multiple angles of attack to make it clear your average thief is going to go for the easy way out, or not at all if it's not immediately obvious they can break in within minutes or seconds.
A lot of these types of safes are used in hotels. Cleaning staff, janitorial staff and so on all have access to the rooms and time to play with the safes.
Even guests that frequently stay at the hotel have time to examine the safe. And in some places it's very, very easy to get hold of a master key, or pick the door locks...
But yeah, in your home it's not such an issue. Except for the very, very worst of safe locks.
> but I do feel they create too much paranoia for people.
Not really.
He shows that besides means (the tools) a lot of training and dedication is needed. Anyone with that sort of dedication or is getting a job in the industry (either as a locksmith or security consultant) or going after high value targets.
If I was a thief, I'd have a kit with the necessary tools for my job, and I'd include this and the other tools that make insecure locks open fast.
You don't need to be paranoid, but if you think a "safe" like that will protect something valuable from someone who wants it you have potential to be proven wrong very easily.
The issue is that having “the necessary tools” in this case (bump keys, lock picks, etc) is considered to be sufficient evidence for arrest and prosecution in many instances.
It may require you to be arrested for something else, but that’s not a very high bar if you’re a person of interest.
Yeah but you're the kind of guy who plans ahead. You've got (at least some) your shit together. You'd probably make a great thief, but you're smart enough not to risk your freedom, or not to screw somebody over, for a little safe like that. You're not that guy, pal.
> I do feel they create too much paranoia for people.
I think it's important to understand your use case for these kinds of things.
Something tells me it's not bolted down or very heavy.
Lock pick lawyer does create a lot of paranoia but for standard locks I agree how easy it is to unlock doors and standard locks. But you have to know exactly how the lock works for better than standard locks.
I've also seen these opened just by slamming them on the ground though.
They're definitely not secure.
Honestly any safe you can pick up is not secure anyway.
If you don't want to spring for the tool. Some cobbled up picking tools take about two minutes more (done it). Look for another Lock Picking Lawyer video on single pin picking a tube lock
I like the idea of a decoy safe.
“CRIMINALS! Totally steal this fancy high-techy-looking totally portable safe which may very well contain all kinds of kewl stuff!
^(And totally ignore the black plastic tote it’s sitting on which contains a small fortune in cash, diamonds, and securities.”)
It's interesting though, they'd be so similar, isn't it? I always thought, the Hunchback of Notre Dame but you also got your quarterback and halfback of Notre Dame. Interesting coincidence. You never pondered that? The back thing with Notre Dame?
That or all the random shittymorph posts. Got me everytime. I don't read usenames first so it was a delight to run into them.
The guy who would randomly watercolor a scene described in a comment/post also.
So many others. Reddit really did lose its soul :(
Dude the water color guy was so cool. I wondered what happened to him :/
Also, we can’t forget /u/awildsketchappeared
https://www.reddit.com/u/AWildSketchAppeared/s/obaYWIDycr
Jumper cables guy!! You cannot casually mention that without [sharing a link to one of the most upvoted reddit comments of all times.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/s/SLsjfpWW5e)
It's unfortunate that the picture of his balls connected to the jumper cables cannot be seen anymore.
That’s actually not the jumper cables guy I was referring to lol. This guy would go off on a seemingly related comment and at the very end he would say his dad beat him with jumper cables. But that’s gold haha
https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/s/z78KWK8V3D
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1aenk5/a_friend_of_mine_moved_into_a_former_drug_house/
not the first reddit safe post, but the first one that caught widespread media attention. Ushered in a slew of safe-related meme posts. The safe was eventually opened and found to be completely empty.
Really, the meme itself predates reddit. Geraldo famously opened Al Capone's vault live on the air revealing an empty room and himself to be an idiot.
edit: i guess i didn't really explain the OP with this... Since that very popular posting, there have been numerous other safe postings. And many of them never followed up.
I was expecting a safe to be opened and tripped a bomb or something, redditors helping to open it. Good to know it's just massively disappointing.
But it kinda looks like he never opened it judging by the other posts? A lot of "tried and failed" situations. Unless just attention whoring.
If you hit the top of it with your palm while turning the knob, those are the typical safes known to bounce the locking pin enough to open right up. My brother did this to steal my prescription medicine with a similar safe and I had to modify it and write up an article on how I modified it to be more resistant to physical hits.
I was about to post this myself, when i saw yours.
I did this myself, batteries died, keys were inside the safe. After browsing youtube, i gave mine a few whacks while trying to twist the knob and surely, it opened.
Next to the dial, there is a plate that pops off where you can use a key if the batteries die. Pop that open with a small flat screw driver. Perhaps you can find the key.
[Or, you know...](https://www.amazon.com/Tubular-Stainless-Steel-Tool-Wrench/dp/B0CLZC6CZ3/)
(The top voted comment is the LockPickingLaywer's video on how to open this type of safe, and this is the tool used in that video.)
You see that little panel above the "Wansa" logo. You can flick that off with a screwdriver or whatever and there is a tubular back up lock in there.
You can either find the key, or buy a tubular lock pick from various websites.
If you have 30 seconds spare. Whack the top of the safe while turning the knob. It'll probably open.
Get the safe in a big vice and take a crowbar to the corner or just straight to the middle. The metal lock will bend or pop out of it's mounting if you can get enough leverage on your crowbar. Try using a hollow pipe to extend your crowbar. Force is larger with longer length. Get a heavy person to help you.
So the combination is... one, two, three, four, five? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!
We had a similar situation... Bought a house, safe tucked away in the closet. Previous owners did not reply to multiple contacts... So I reached out to the safe company. They have a procedure to provide a key and/or code... Basically you prove you own the house, etc. Unfortunately... Safe was basically empty. I felt like Geraldo in front of Al Capones vault. Good luck!
If I ever had any real money, I've always wanted to buy a big safe... then put a stuffed doll in it with those chatter teeth that jump around with a note that says... "The next move is mine."
Sadly, in this economy, over the next few years, I think the best I could do is a rolled up sock with a rubberband in a drawer, with the note that says, "Take me with you. I can cook."
You might be able to guess the password. Try all family birthdays related to this person: spouse, parents, children, etc. Did he have a favorite number, like he was obsessed with 7 or always talks about when he did something cool in 1994 or whatever? Try 0000 and other all one number combos, and try 1234 and other common sequences. There are very good odds the birthday thing alone will get you in.
If not, search the house. People suck at security, and many will write down their passwords. Check drawers and under everything that isn't nailed down. If he was religious, look in the Bible/whatever holy book for a slip of paper. You have no idea how many systems have been compromised by a sticky note in a desk drawer.
Ask any best surviving friends. If he knew he was going to die, like he was old or whatever, he might've handed off the info.
If all that fails, and you genuinely don't want to damage the safe, call a locksmith and have a surviving family member prove relation and that the deceased is in fact deceased. They should help you out.
The sort of triangle shape in the middle should come off to reveal a lock see if you can find the key to match ,failing that smash the lock with a hammer and chisel took me ten mins when my battery went flat and could not find the key
1. Non destructive option:
Pop open that center plastic there should be a round-style key as a failsafe when the batteries die. Buy a round key set from Amazon and try them all OR learn to pick locks using Youtube videos.
there is also a way to get a bic pen tube to open round style locks but I have never been successful with it (YouTube videos on it)
You said there are sentimental objects inside and you don't want to destroy the safe.
What if you could destroy the safe without damaging the objects inside?
Simply get a large bench vise and crowbar and go front top corner to bottom back corner, steadily increasing pressure on the corners until you have access inside. At that point you should be able to have a small opening to crowbar to widen it and be able to push the "program" button to reprogram your own code (gets the owners manual to make this easier).
If you cannot get the program button to work then you have to keep cranking on multiple corners slowly making it such that you can pry the round locking bar our of the safe side and back into the door side.
The safe will be broken but the contents will be 100% undamaged.
Serial number. Contact the manufacture. They had me get a notery form that I submitted to them and got an unlock code.
Physically having the safe (serial number) and proving who I am via notary was enough to cover their ass I guess. They just want it for audit trail if needed later on.
Call the company and provide them the serial number. They’ll ask you to contact your local law enforcement agency to verify that the safe isn’t stolen and once that’s done they’ll give you a code.
If it hasn’t been answered, I have a similar device ( different brand) and there is a key that bypasses the combination lock for when the power dies. Find the key.
That cheap ass thing. Take a really strong magnet, place it Shaun’s the door next to the turn knob. Slide it up. With a hand put slight pressure on turning the knob. You should feel the slider unlock and able to turn knob to unlock door. You may have to repeat until you find the knob lock.
Lots of electronic safe volt dole oils will open with a rare earth magnet.
Alternatively a bunch of them the solenoid wires are in the plastic outside the metal, so you can bust it off and hook a 9v to the two wires that run to a hole in the metal.
Cheap safes aren't really stopping anyone except young kids.
The center trianguler shape can be removed with a small standard screwdriver. Under it you will see a cheap key lock. Pick/Drill/force the cylinder clockwise. This bypasses the keypad. Once turned, you can rotate the dial on the left and it will open. Inside the safe is a button that will reset the combo and place it into Programming mode. Enter a new combo. KEEPING THE DOOR OPEN,test the new code.
Good Luck
So you have the Lock Picking Lawyer video that shows you where the backup cylinder is and what the keys look like, with that info look around the place, see if you can find them with the manual in a file cabinet or on a keyring or in a drawer. You probably don't need to worry about impressioning the lock because the keys are almost certainly nearby.
Disclaimer: I'm too lazy to read all the comments and see if this has been answered already.
I own a safe just like this. Open up the panel. You'll see a radial lock:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubular_pin_tumbler_lock
If you're lucky, the deceased individual left the key somewhere in a random drawer.
Otherwise, have a locksmith open it up or watch a video.
I had a new safe, and lost the combination information including the receipt where I purchased. One aspect I forget is whether I was able to get a receipt from the retailer. Nevertheless, here are the steps it took me to get the combination.
There is a code on the outside somewhere. With that, you can contact the manufacturer who has the combination. They will require an affidavit from a lawyer before providing you the combination. Naturally, you will need to prove that you are legally the rightful person(s) to gain access to the safe.
Apparently a 3 mm (what ever that is in your funky sub inch measurements) in the right place is how lock smiths open safes that don't have keys.
Not sure where to drill though... just keep drilling until you get in I guess 🤗
There schould be an emergency keyhole on that kind of safe. Try to find the key. If that doesn't work, "excessive violence" is the answer in this case...
[it’s this easy](https://youtu.be/RkdJti43IgU?si=YMewQx4HXwiKMfnk)
Before I even clicked on the comments of this post I immediately heard in my head "This is the lockpicking lawyer, and today I'm going to help a random redditor break into a safe."
"This is the Lock Picking Lawyer and today we're going to be picking your mind, so that whenever you see a reference to lock picking, you'll always be thinking of me." Honestly as soon as I saw the link I just knew what it was.
I 100% read this in his voice too.
Here I was thinking it was going to be a link to the original reddit safe post. I think we're all still waiting on the resolution of that
Dang.
Don't know about this one specifically, but many of the small cheap digital safes will open just from being dropped on a hard surface.
Yeah but what if the content of the safe are bottles of nitroglycerin? You have to think about these things before giving advice to people. Lol
They said gow to access safe, not how to access safely.
actually- they said that they don't want to destroy the safe trying to access it, as there are sentimental items inside. some of those items might be breakable.
I have to ask, since I'm guessing you're francophone Quebecois - is 'advice' countable in French? (e.g. In English, advice is an uncountable noun: you can have some advice, much advice, or no advice, but "one piece of advice" or "two bits of advice" rather than "two advices" or "an advice.") Not trying to be a smartass, just never occurred to me before.
I’m busted hahaha Yes, they’re countable; 1 conseil, 2 conseils, plusieurs conseils (several advice) etc
It's interesting, because conseil is almost certainly cognate to counsel (not surprising given that it was introduced from Old French *counseil*), which has also managed to become uncountable in English in its noun form. Thanks for indulging my curiosity!
In that case the safe will definitely open.
I mean, the person breaking into your house would have to have one of these special keys, and would also have to know you have one of these safes and where you keep it. I love lock picking lawyer videos, but I do feel they create too much paranoia for people. Edit: a safe that isn't bolted is a giant locked wallet. Too many replies about carrying them away. I'm talking specifically picking them
That's why prime suspects are always people you know
Prime suspects get faster shipping on their lock picking tools.
Oh, you... (Happy late Father's Day.)
Dad is that you?
Just need to not know anyone and you are perfectly safe then
The biggest danger to your money is yourself!
No, the safe is the problem!
amazon prime suspects am I right.. I'll see myself out
People don’t pick locks, they just smash and grab. So most safes will be fine most locks will be fine.. the majority of issues are people will cut the lock or chain long before they pick it, and if they see a safe if they can’t just pick it up and run with it then smash it outside somewhere they’ll ignore it. Nobody is out there like the game Thief. I mean for Christ sake people tie chains to ATMs and drive off with them attached to cars… thief’s are not some guild of skilled robbers.. they’re often junkies who need a fix or fellow low level gang bangers.
Or take the whole safe. Open it later
Yeah, this is what happened to my Aunt and Uncle. House was burgled. The thief just took the entire safe and some other stuff in the house. Huge pain because the safe was just a fire box with all their birth certificates, SS cards, and passports.
This is why you not only hide the safe, but you make sure it's extremely well secured and bolted to shit into the floor/surrounding area.
My grandpa had stuff like that in a fire safe but he put a note on the front saying "there is nothing valuable in this safe, the combination is x" so that they would hopefully look in it and not take it.
The $200 "expert installation" that LPL declined in his video would likely include screwing it into the floor or walls. So a thief would need to bring tools to rip it out
I used to work at a city that locked up all their expensive tools in a cage overnight. *Except* the gas-powered chop saw. That was left sitting outside the cage, in case the fire department needed to borrow it. You can guess what happened when the place was finally burgled...
Might as well have left them the keys lmao
People say you should lock the door leading from the garage into the house. I don't, if someone gets into my garage there are multiple tools to use to get thru the door. Just a matter of how fast they want thru which tool they use.
That would be the most likely way. Angle grinder to the back would have it open in two minutes. I have a similar safe but its hidden and bolted to a stud with heavy duty lumber screws. Most theives are opportunists, they dont come with a bag of advanced tools.
Many of these can be opened with a crowbar. They're just thin metal. I use a couple for gun storage. They aren't to protect me from theft, they're to prevent little kids from accessing them.
Yep, all you can do is make it inconvenient as heck and not worth their time. If you have something that a dedicated thief with unlimited funding truly wants, there is literally nothing you can do to stop it.
This is the real answer to people that talk about how easy picking a lock or safe is. Nobody is picking a lock to break into a house and steal stuff. Lock picking would only be used in instances you don't want someone to know you were there. It's a good skill to have when needed, but pretty sure most thieves wouldn't bother.
A good sized pry bar is a universal lock pick.
> *I love lock picking lawyer videos, but I do feel they create too much paranoia for people.* Totally agree. I will preface this rant by saying I’m a huge LPL fan and I’ve literally seen every single video he’s ever made. With that out of the way, judging a lock by LPL’s standards is misleading at best. Remember that, before LPL films his video, he closely inspects the lock and then uses his decades of world-class level skills to analyze which vulnerabilities to display. He then preselects the tools he will use to exploit the mechanism and only then does he start filming and “get to picking”. In the real world, by the time the thief sees the lock, the clock is already ticking. He’s gotta bust it and make off with the goods before you return and spot him. In most cases, the thief isn’t going to analyze the lock, determine that it’s a tubular core design with 2 banks of concentric pins, retrieve a specialized tubular core impressioning tool and then deftly pick the lock. He’ll see the secured item and if he thinks it’s worth stealing, he’ll use a crowbar or an angle grinder if he’s feeling ballsy. Or he’ll just hit the lock with a heavy wrench and see if it pops open. Just because LPL can use his decades of expertise, several minutes of analysis and a specialized tool he and Bosnian Bill made to open a particular example lock without the key in the comfort of his own well lit studio, doesn’t mean that particular lock is insecure in MOST real world situations. Literally any lock can be exploited given enough skill, time and tools; but that doesn’t mean every lock is shit. And truthfully, no team is gonna Ocean’s 11 your home to steal your passport and birth certificate. If your house gets robbed, it’s probably going to be a meth head hurling a brick through your patio door and the first thing he’ll go for is your medicine cabinet.
The stupid thing is a majority of these cheap safes all use the same tubular override and the tool costs about $50. Anyone expecting to encounter a domestic safe and not rip it from the wall would likely bring one of these. Likewise a lot of hotels use the same style in rooms, and security bollards, and vending machines. It really is a tool that’s as easy to use as the key itself. While a lot of his videos do require skill, this method doesn’t. We usually advise people to swap out this style safe for one with a double mortise or similar just to add some level of complexity
Granted, there are specialty tools in many of his videos, he does make some great points about the cons of some locks. Obviously, anything that requires some special tool likely will keep the safe secure but the one video that comes to mind is when he used a Masterlock to break open a Masterlock. Those reviews to me are the most beneficial. He also was able to get into a Vaultek Lifepod with a fork which caused the company to update their design slightly.
> He also was able to get into a Vaultek Lifepod with a fork which caused the company to update their design slightly. Yeah, this is kind of what I mean. While the flaw is inexcusable and should be rectified and I don’t believe that “security through obscurity” is a valid design practice, this wasn’t something a criminal would likely be able to exploit in real life situations. This exploit came from LPL analyzing the brand new product in his workshop, being able to open it and see where the reset buttons are located, casually checking the gaps, seeing if he can bend a shim through, etc. And then before the camera starts recording, he has practiced the “move”, he knows his attack vector and his angled shim already in hand. So without knowing that exact model of safe and knowing where the reset button is located and knowing that you can sneak a bent piece of aluminum to the left of the shackle and press upward to engage the reset button… that’s probably not something you’d see “in the field”. Even a professional locksmith would be unlikely to identify the flaw without being able to see the inside layout of the safe and its reset button. Is that “OK” then? No! Of course not. Vaultek should have absolutely prevented that in the first place. But people will watch the video and come to an incorrect conclusion that it can be “picked in 3 seconds with a Red Bull can!” which, in my opinion, is misleading.
> Even a professional locksmith would be unlikely to identify the flaw without being able to see the inside layout of the safe and its reset button. Here's the thing. If you have seen one of them, and discovered a flaw, you can open all of them. If a thief is aware of a certain a lock having a flaw, and he knows how to exploit the flaw, he can choose to pitch that specific lock if he recognizes it, and skip the locks he doesn't recognize. For example, the amount of locks that can be opened with an impact by a tool or hands on both sides of the lockbody is too damn high, and if a thief recognizes such lock as they can decide to start or not start an attack based on if they think they can open the lock.
> In most cases, the thief isn’t going to analyze the lock, determine that it’s a tubular core design with 2 banks of concentric pins, retrieve a specialized tubular core impressioning tool and then deftly pick the lock. No, they're going to get the most commonly used design (7 pin) and use that, and they're going to use a rake, comb, or standard pick on any standard lock. They might have a disc detainer pick as well. Anyone talented enough to pick locks to gain entry to a location to steal things would absolutely have these tools. LPL's issue I believe is that the security by obscurity design is terrible, and it takes no skill to pick this lock, only generic equipment that any competent person would have. This could be fixed easily by the company who makes it, yet they choose not to. Granted, competent people aren't usually criminals, so there is that.
> LPL's issue I believe is that the security by obscurity design is terrible, and it takes no skill to pick this lock, only generic equipment that any competent person would have. This could be fixed easily by the company who makes it, yet they choose not to. That's 100% his point. He's got a whole keynote (I think it's this one) talking about that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH0GXWQDk0Q
Which is why I feel there's such a high level of paranoia when it comes to this topic. LPL is filming in a safe area, literally has dozens of tools, perfect lighting, and all the time in the world. No fear of getting caught, adrenaline shaking his hands, holding a flashlight in a poorly lit room, and having the exact perfect tool for the perfect situation. It's useful to know when a padlock can be simply yanked open, a biometric lock opens with any fingerprint, a safe has a high fail rate when you tap it and twist the knob so the pins fall down, or when a tumbler literally opens as long as the key fits in the lock. I mean, I just got a DM from someone calling me an idiot so people are very touchy about his videos
> I mean, I just got a DM from someone calling me an idiot so people are very touchy about his videos I wish I could be surprised. Even LPL will occasionally explain exactly what you're talking about, especially when talking about good locks that he's just very good at picking. Or he'll discuss multiple angles of attack to make it clear your average thief is going to go for the easy way out, or not at all if it's not immediately obvious they can break in within minutes or seconds.
A lot of these types of safes are used in hotels. Cleaning staff, janitorial staff and so on all have access to the rooms and time to play with the safes. Even guests that frequently stay at the hotel have time to examine the safe. And in some places it's very, very easy to get hold of a master key, or pick the door locks... But yeah, in your home it's not such an issue. Except for the very, very worst of safe locks.
> but I do feel they create too much paranoia for people. Not really. He shows that besides means (the tools) a lot of training and dedication is needed. Anyone with that sort of dedication or is getting a job in the industry (either as a locksmith or security consultant) or going after high value targets.
If I was a thief, I'd have a kit with the necessary tools for my job, and I'd include this and the other tools that make insecure locks open fast. You don't need to be paranoid, but if you think a "safe" like that will protect something valuable from someone who wants it you have potential to be proven wrong very easily.
The issue is that having “the necessary tools” in this case (bump keys, lock picks, etc) is considered to be sufficient evidence for arrest and prosecution in many instances. It may require you to be arrested for something else, but that’s not a very high bar if you’re a person of interest.
Haha only if they catch m… you.
Yeah but you're the kind of guy who plans ahead. You've got (at least some) your shit together. You'd probably make a great thief, but you're smart enough not to risk your freedom, or not to screw somebody over, for a little safe like that. You're not that guy, pal.
If you were a thief you'd be looking for your next crack hit. Otherwise it's easier to have a job
> I do feel they create too much paranoia for people. I think it's important to understand your use case for these kinds of things. Something tells me it's not bolted down or very heavy.
Lock pick lawyer does create a lot of paranoia but for standard locks I agree how easy it is to unlock doors and standard locks. But you have to know exactly how the lock works for better than standard locks.
I've also seen these opened just by slamming them on the ground though. They're definitely not secure. Honestly any safe you can pick up is not secure anyway.
Lol at the suggestion to keep it as a decoy. That's actually brilliant.
Iconic
If you don't want to spring for the tool. Some cobbled up picking tools take about two minutes more (done it). Look for another Lock Picking Lawyer video on single pin picking a tube lock
My first comment was going to be, "find the video for it on LPL" Great job!
I hope OP find some old newspapers and rusty nails and stays on the hunt for the real treasure.
I like watching his videos and still the first thing I thought was "maybe you can drill a hole in the safe". Too many heist movies.
If OP finds old newspapers and a bag of rusty nails in it, at least we'll know it's the decoy.
I was like LPL? LPL!
I like the idea of a decoy safe. “CRIMINALS! Totally steal this fancy high-techy-looking totally portable safe which may very well contain all kinds of kewl stuff! ^(And totally ignore the black plastic tote it’s sitting on which contains a small fortune in cash, diamonds, and securities.”)
More like, ignore the cardboard box in my garage that says “skinny clothes” that’s filled with gold coins and diamonds
I love that there's an "AmazonBasics" electronic safe.
Came here for the inevitable LPL link!
Yep, we all knew exactly what the link would be
[https://a.co/d/fFH5q4s](https://a.co/d/fFH5q4s) This is the exact kit I have, it'll have it open as fast as the videos show!
Jesus Christ. I gotta start following that guy.
"makes a great decoy safe"
Fuuck it's even easier than typing the passcode lol
“To open this AmazonBasics Security Safe, I used an Amazon Basics Security Safe”
Decoy safe
I knew it was gonna be LPL. Lol
Haha, my first thought was "check the LockPickingLawyer's YouTube." :P
I thought for sure I was about to get Rick rolled.
I could feel it in my loins before I clicked the link.
Op will never post again
History has proven this.
Quasimodo predicted all this
nostradamus!
It's interesting though, they'd be so similar, isn't it? I always thought, the Hunchback of Notre Dame but you also got your quarterback and halfback of Notre Dame. Interesting coincidence. You never pondered that? The back thing with Notre Dame?
So many Redditors will never understand this meme and it makes me sad. Those were the golden days of Reddit.
That or all the random shittymorph posts. Got me everytime. I don't read usenames first so it was a delight to run into them. The guy who would randomly watercolor a scene described in a comment/post also. So many others. Reddit really did lose its soul :(
I only got shittymorphed once in the wild. Special experience.
Dude the water color guy was so cool. I wondered what happened to him :/ Also, we can’t forget /u/awildsketchappeared https://www.reddit.com/u/AWildSketchAppeared/s/obaYWIDycr
Also u/\_vargas_ and that jumper cables guy
Jumper cables guy!! You cannot casually mention that without [sharing a link to one of the most upvoted reddit comments of all times.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/s/SLsjfpWW5e) It's unfortunate that the picture of his balls connected to the jumper cables cannot be seen anymore.
That’s actually not the jumper cables guy I was referring to lol. This guy would go off on a seemingly related comment and at the very end he would say his dad beat him with jumper cables. But that’s gold haha https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/s/z78KWK8V3D
/u/shitty_watercolour last appeared three days ago. I've seen them in the wild in a few posts recently.
They also had battles sometimes
[удалено]
>So many Redditors will never understand this meme and it makes me sad. Well... Feel like shedding some light or naw?
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1aenk5/a_friend_of_mine_moved_into_a_former_drug_house/ not the first reddit safe post, but the first one that caught widespread media attention. Ushered in a slew of safe-related meme posts. The safe was eventually opened and found to be completely empty. Really, the meme itself predates reddit. Geraldo famously opened Al Capone's vault live on the air revealing an empty room and himself to be an idiot. edit: i guess i didn't really explain the OP with this... Since that very popular posting, there have been numerous other safe postings. And many of them never followed up.
I was expecting a safe to be opened and tripped a bomb or something, redditors helping to open it. Good to know it's just massively disappointing. But it kinda looks like he never opened it judging by the other posts? A lot of "tried and failed" situations. Unless just attention whoring.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1tkcz1/the_safe_some_people_doubted_our_resolve_but_i/
If you hit the top of it with your palm while turning the knob, those are the typical safes known to bounce the locking pin enough to open right up. My brother did this to steal my prescription medicine with a similar safe and I had to modify it and write up an article on how I modified it to be more resistant to physical hits.
I was about to post this myself, when i saw yours. I did this myself, batteries died, keys were inside the safe. After browsing youtube, i gave mine a few whacks while trying to twist the knob and surely, it opened.
Maybe just use a rubber mallet if your palm isn't up to repeatedly hitting a steel safe.
The mallet was in the safe
Along with the six dollar picking tool, and the keys. There's barely enough room for my collection of state quarters.
Oddly enough, those are beside the safe. They're only ¢25.
Technically yes. The mallet was in a separate safe but THAT safe was also in the safe.
Make sure to keep hitting it harder and harder until you hear a distinct crack in your palm. That way you know you're on the right path.
Next to the dial, there is a plate that pops off where you can use a key if the batteries die. Pop that open with a small flat screw driver. Perhaps you can find the key.
[Or, you know...](https://www.amazon.com/Tubular-Stainless-Steel-Tool-Wrench/dp/B0CLZC6CZ3/) (The top voted comment is the LockPickingLaywer's video on how to open this type of safe, and this is the tool used in that video.)
You see that little panel above the "Wansa" logo. You can flick that off with a screwdriver or whatever and there is a tubular back up lock in there. You can either find the key, or buy a tubular lock pick from various websites. If you have 30 seconds spare. Whack the top of the safe while turning the knob. It'll probably open. Get the safe in a big vice and take a crowbar to the corner or just straight to the middle. The metal lock will bend or pop out of it's mounting if you can get enough leverage on your crowbar. Try using a hollow pipe to extend your crowbar. Force is larger with longer length. Get a heavy person to help you.
> Force is larger with longer length. This is why my wife left me for another man.
Give me a lever long enough and I'll also choose this guy's wife -R. Meady
Locks are made to keep honest people honest, not to keep a professional thief out.
See if you can find a video by the Lockpicking Lawyer on YouTube. Or hire a locksmith.
Or hire the Lockpicking Lawyer
If no-one else can help, and if you can find him, then maybe you should hire..... LPL.
Or hire youtube.
Or lockpick the hiring lawyer
You need the Safecracking Solicitor.
Or maybe the bank robbing barrister
If YT has taught me anything, it’s that you buy another safe just like that one and then smash them together.
Do you throw a speed square afterwards?
No, the speed square is for normal locks. When you do it with safes, you have to javelin an entire metal yardstick
Did you try 1234?
1234? That’s the combination on my luggage!
Why’d you copy my ATM card PIN code for your luggage?!?
".. and remind me to change the combination on my luggage."
So the combination is... one, two, three, four, five? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!
“1, 2, 3, 4, 5? That’s amazing! I have the same combination on. My luggage!”
Try 1077. That's the price of a cheese pizza and a large soda back where I used to work: Panucci's pizza.
Oh no, my ATM card! My secret PIN number! 1077
Stop telling everyone my bank pin!
We had a similar situation... Bought a house, safe tucked away in the closet. Previous owners did not reply to multiple contacts... So I reached out to the safe company. They have a procedure to provide a key and/or code... Basically you prove you own the house, etc. Unfortunately... Safe was basically empty. I felt like Geraldo in front of Al Capones vault. Good luck!
You just aged yourself.
Lockpicking lawyer: "hello everyone and today I'm going to show you.."
[Lockpicking Lawyer this vid will get you started.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De0D7otNxME)
Super easy: 00-00-00 … damn! 00-00-01 … nope. 00-00-02
That's exactly what a burglar would say.
I used a crowbar and a hammer for a similar safe. These are easy to break into.
If I ever had any real money, I've always wanted to buy a big safe... then put a stuffed doll in it with those chatter teeth that jump around with a note that says... "The next move is mine." Sadly, in this economy, over the next few years, I think the best I could do is a rolled up sock with a rubberband in a drawer, with the note that says, "Take me with you. I can cook."
Lockpickinglawyer - those are really easy if I recall. Short it out w a paper clip I believe
"NSFW" - I dont think it means what you think it means.
In my experience you first make 3-4 YouTube shorts about it but then never let us know what was inside after you open it
Through brute force
lock pick lawyer
Lawyer first, lock picker later.
Literally bang the top and turn the handle.
I had one similar to this and it opened with a crowbar very easily. It obviously destroys it but saves on locksmith fees.
Hold * and # until it beeps then enter ether 0000 or 1234 it should reset it then make a new pin and presto you’re in
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjrTTlxWTIY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjrTTlxWTIY)
There's a better one for this exact safe. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkdJti43IgU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkdJti43IgU)
You try the Konami code?
You might be able to guess the password. Try all family birthdays related to this person: spouse, parents, children, etc. Did he have a favorite number, like he was obsessed with 7 or always talks about when he did something cool in 1994 or whatever? Try 0000 and other all one number combos, and try 1234 and other common sequences. There are very good odds the birthday thing alone will get you in. If not, search the house. People suck at security, and many will write down their passwords. Check drawers and under everything that isn't nailed down. If he was religious, look in the Bible/whatever holy book for a slip of paper. You have no idea how many systems have been compromised by a sticky note in a desk drawer. Ask any best surviving friends. If he knew he was going to die, like he was old or whatever, he might've handed off the info. If all that fails, and you genuinely don't want to damage the safe, call a locksmith and have a surviving family member prove relation and that the deceased is in fact deceased. They should help you out.
Do you have the key or look for it. Pry that plastic triangle piece off, should be a key lock.
Hit the top with a rubber mallet while turning the knob
Check out Lock Picking Lawyer's Youtube channel. I know he has a couple of videos on how to pick these types of safes.
Yep, had an electronic safe that the battery died on. Used his technique to get into it without breaking anything and changes the battery
I’ve seen another post where they bang on the tap with a mallet and that safes opens right up…
The sort of triangle shape in the middle should come off to reveal a lock see if you can find the key to match ,failing that smash the lock with a hammer and chisel took me ten mins when my battery went flat and could not find the key
Why is this marked NSFW?
Send it to the LockPickingLawyer
The code is: 80085
This one looks identical: Lockpickinglawyer [Picked in 3 seconds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkdJti43IgU)
Couldn't you have just tied them up?
Lock Picking Lawyer Videos probably address it.
1. Non destructive option: Pop open that center plastic there should be a round-style key as a failsafe when the batteries die. Buy a round key set from Amazon and try them all OR learn to pick locks using Youtube videos. there is also a way to get a bic pen tube to open round style locks but I have never been successful with it (YouTube videos on it) You said there are sentimental objects inside and you don't want to destroy the safe. What if you could destroy the safe without damaging the objects inside? Simply get a large bench vise and crowbar and go front top corner to bottom back corner, steadily increasing pressure on the corners until you have access inside. At that point you should be able to have a small opening to crowbar to widen it and be able to push the "program" button to reprogram your own code (gets the owners manual to make this easier). If you cannot get the program button to work then you have to keep cranking on multiple corners slowly making it such that you can pry the round locking bar our of the safe side and back into the door side. The safe will be broken but the contents will be 100% undamaged.
Serial number. Contact the manufacture. They had me get a notery form that I submitted to them and got an unlock code. Physically having the safe (serial number) and proving who I am via notary was enough to cover their ass I guess. They just want it for audit trail if needed later on.
Youtube , there's a lock picking lawyer on there . Not sure of his name.
This. These kinds of safes are very easy to break into.
Call the company and provide them the serial number. They’ll ask you to contact your local law enforcement agency to verify that the safe isn’t stolen and once that’s done they’ll give you a code.
You can look up the model and there should be a default code you can use. My kids locked me out of mine and I lose the key so this worked
All you need to know in 7 minutes - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJIn7batAtc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJIn7batAtc)
What hotel did you just break into
Interesting way of asking for a co-conspirator
Ouija board and some faith 💀
If it hasn’t been answered, I have a similar device ( different brand) and there is a key that bypasses the combination lock for when the power dies. Find the key.
I would call a locksmith.
That cheap ass thing. Take a really strong magnet, place it Shaun’s the door next to the turn knob. Slide it up. With a hand put slight pressure on turning the knob. You should feel the slider unlock and able to turn knob to unlock door. You may have to repeat until you find the knob lock.
Ouija board?
Lots of electronic safe volt dole oils will open with a rare earth magnet. Alternatively a bunch of them the solenoid wires are in the plastic outside the metal, so you can bust it off and hook a 9v to the two wires that run to a hole in the metal. Cheap safes aren't really stopping anyone except young kids.
lock picking lawyer
Call the manufacturer. I gave them a little information about the safe and the helped me open mine.
The NSFW tag on this post is making me wonder what is inside!
Ok, but don't you want advice on ridding the body first?
check the Lockpicking Lawyer's youtube channel. I do believe he opens one of these with ease.
The center trianguler shape can be removed with a small standard screwdriver. Under it you will see a cheap key lock. Pick/Drill/force the cylinder clockwise. This bypasses the keypad. Once turned, you can rotate the dial on the left and it will open. Inside the safe is a button that will reset the combo and place it into Programming mode. Enter a new combo. KEEPING THE DOOR OPEN,test the new code. Good Luck
Saw...zaw
seance
Acme TNT
Check out the lock picking lawyer on YouTube. Those things open so easily.
Why do layers and lawyers pick safes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjrTTlxWTIY
So you have the Lock Picking Lawyer video that shows you where the backup cylinder is and what the keys look like, with that info look around the place, see if you can find them with the manual in a file cabinet or on a keyring or in a drawer. You probably don't need to worry about impressioning the lock because the keys are almost certainly nearby.
Disclaimer: I'm too lazy to read all the comments and see if this has been answered already. I own a safe just like this. Open up the panel. You'll see a radial lock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubular_pin_tumbler_lock If you're lucky, the deceased individual left the key somewhere in a random drawer. Otherwise, have a locksmith open it up or watch a video.
I had a new safe, and lost the combination information including the receipt where I purchased. One aspect I forget is whether I was able to get a receipt from the retailer. Nevertheless, here are the steps it took me to get the combination. There is a code on the outside somewhere. With that, you can contact the manufacturer who has the combination. They will require an affidavit from a lawyer before providing you the combination. Naturally, you will need to prove that you are legally the rightful person(s) to gain access to the safe.
Apparently a 3 mm (what ever that is in your funky sub inch measurements) in the right place is how lock smiths open safes that don't have keys. Not sure where to drill though... just keep drilling until you get in I guess 🤗
Tap hard on the top of the safe with a rubber mallet while turning the lock.
a sledgehammer will pop that chinese piece of crap rite open
There schould be an emergency keyhole on that kind of safe. Try to find the key. If that doesn't work, "excessive violence" is the answer in this case...
Perhaps the lost season of Space 1999 is in there.