NCJ Number
121535
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 58 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1989) Pages: 14-17
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The prosecutor's office in Jacksonville, Fla. has designed and carried out an undercover operation called "Operation Freezer Burn" to address fraud in appliance repairs and has found that almost half the 28 repair companies that were called charged for parts they never used or for work they never performed.
Abstract
As a result of the program 12 repair personnel were convicted of criminal offenses and an almost equal number were termed incompetent by the refrigeration experts who acted as consultants to the investigation. The essential reports of a used refrigerator were then marked with a red, indelible marking pen. The refrigerator's temperature and on/off cycles were then graphed using a standard temperature cycling machine to prove later that the refrigerator was in proper working order. The refrigerator was then disabled in several ways, and repair companies were called and told that the refrigerator was not cooling properly. Photographs, audiotapes, and videotapes recorded the words and actions of the service technician, who was paid with a check from a real bank account set up under a fictitious name. All suspects were arrested simultaneously. Extensive newspaper and television coverage of the investigation resulted in the heightened public awareness that was another goal of the project. In addition, the fines and forfeitures amounted to many times the $2,000 cost of the investigation.