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Bunko Detail. A new kind of scam is hitting the streets, regarding this new technology called television.
Working with a reporter on the daily news, Joe Friday and Ben Romero learn how certain TV repair shops are over billingm or billing for repairs that were never done or needed. Not every shop is crooked, but the few that are, give a bad name to the good ones. With the help of a repairman who knows how the bad shops work, a plan is hatched to sniff out crooked shops. Ben comments that this is nothing new. It was the same when radio came in. Crooks take advantage of new technology, and its mysteries, to take advantage of the unwary.
After a moment of voiceover with Joe to share how the investigation develops, he learns from lab techs how a TV set has been prepared, and marked. A simpple problem has been set up, and the known repair bill should be fairly cheap and simple. The voiceover continues as Joe reports on the variety of shops that were called, and the consistency in repairs. It appears that the neighborhood is safe, and all the shops thus far are honest.
The cops, and newspaper reporter, know they’ve uncovered a swindler when their next repairman not only jacks up his repair fees, but gets himself caught on film. The data is in, and the fish they caught was none other than the owner of the shop. Evidence is clear, the only repair was to replace an inexpensive tube, while a series of expensive repairs were billed. The marked up chasis proves the scam. Now its up to Joe and Ben to confront and arrest their man.
