(Kansas City, MO)  A Missouri Attorney General's office investigation of fraudulent activity among Kansas City and St. Louis-area locksmiths has led to federal criminal charges against three people and state criminal charges against a Kansas City-area man.

     Authorities investigated Dependable Locks of Tampa, Florida, for fraudulently advertising by using at least 16 different names that all led consumers to one company, and for charging customers 2-3 times more than the price quoted them to unlock their cars.

     A joint state-federal investigation led to allegations that a national network of at least 100 locksmith technicians - operating from across the United States - were instructed to charge up to $179 for unlocking customers' cars.

     That's after the customers were quoted the price of $54 by the company's telephone dispatchers.

     A federal affidavit also says that many of the locksmith technicians working for Dependable Locks are aliens who entered the United States either illegally, or are on visas that do not permit them to work as locksmith technicians.



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