ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A joint state and federal investigation of locksmith fraud in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas has led to criminal charges against four people.
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said Thursday that the investigation of Tampa, Fla.-based Dependable Locks led to allegations that at least 100 locksmith technicians were involved in metropolitan areas around the country.
Koster said the fraud worked like this: Customers needing to have cars unlocked were quoted a price of $54 by telephone dispatchers, but the actual charge turned out to be $179.
A federal affidavit says many of the technicians who worked for Dependable Locks were illegal aliens or on visas that did not allow them to work as locksmiths.
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