First Aired - September 26, 1967
Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon are working in the frauds division, bunco section. Two men are posing as police officers to scam people who are in the area on a business trip. The difference is that the two men take the victims to police headquarters to work the scam. Gannon goes undercover to help catch the scammers.
Just the Tropes, ma'am:
- The Charmer: Talked about. Gannon tells Friday that because he has been married for over 13 years, he can no longer be the charmer he once was as he failed to flirt with a women at the bar but Friday is able to charm women because he is single. Friday tells Gannon that is the whole reason Gannon is the one undercover as he appears to be a married man.
- Dirty Cop: Subverted. Willard Danhart files a compliant with the police department as he believes two officers are dirty. However the police that Mr. Danhart talked with are not part of the department and he is sent to Friday and Gannon for fraud.
- Failed a Spot Check: The two men posing as officers tell the victims that the woman they arrested will be arraigned and the victims will have to testify at that arraignment. Friday and Gannon note that anybody who knows how the courts work will see though the con as the arraignment is only for the defendant to plead guilty or not guilty and for trial to be set at a much later date. However, the con group target people who would typically not have this knowledge.
- Hero of Another Story: Mr. Ainsworth, the hotel security officer, is working on trying to find an illegal gambling ring in the hotel.
- Impersonating an Officer: The two con men pose as police officers along with the women posing as the person they are arresting. What makes this case different from others is that the con men bring the victims to the official police headquarters.
- Jurisdiction Friction: Mr. Ainsworth, the hotel security officer, is upset that Friday and Gannon did not inform him that they would be working in the hotel as it has wasted his time looking for the gambling ring. Gannon is able to smooth things over once he gets key information about the gambling ring and hand it directly to Mr. Anisworth.
- The Mole: One of the hotel employees is believed to be working with the thieves in order to mark their target, which is why the police department doesn't inform the hotel. It turned out that a hotel room clerk was in on the scam and the bartender was working with the illegal gambling ring.
- Pretty in Mink: The woman in the con ring shows up at "Fred"'s room wearing nothing but a nightie and a mink coat. She claims she saw a prowler in her room and grabbed the coat either out of modesty or because she didn't want it stolen.
- The Remake: Of "The Big Fraud" from the 1950's series.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: The hotel security officer, Mr. Ainsworth, believes that Bill is part of an illegal gambling ring being worked in the hotel. He suspects Gannon because he notices that two people are staying in the room when Bill, posing as an out of town guest under the name Fred, is registered as being alone in the room. Friday appears and explains to Mr. Ainsworth that they are undercover police officers on a different case not related to the gambling ring.
- Undercover Cop Reveal: A couple of fellow detectives call Friday and Gannon by name when they step out of the elevator with the phony cops, forcing Friday to make the bust right there.
