Racket Squad in Action #21

When John Barton's car is stolen from his driveway one night, he discovers the thieves have a legal cover story—they're posing as repossession agents for his finance company. Unable to arrest the "jumpers" once they've made their phony report to police, Inspector Greer suggests Barton try catching them in the act himself, setting a trap to expose the racket. With Barton's help, the law finally has the evidence needed to take down the dishonest dealers and finance company running this nationwide scheme.

A street hustler runs the classic shell game, moving a pea beneath walnut shells while drawing in marks with promises of easy money—but behind the sleight of hand lies a clever mechanical trick designed to ensure the house always wins. This story reveals how the con actually works, exposing the operator's secret technique that keeps players perpetually guessing wrong.

Detective Baker and the Racket Squad track a smooth-talking con man known as the Silver Fox—actually Robert Perry—who poses as a visiting relative to gain the trust of homeowners, then systematically empties their homes while they're distracted. When Perry's latest mark invites the neighbors to dinner as part of his scheme, an overlooked personal item becomes the thread that unravels his carefully planned theft and lands him in custody.

A medical charlatan posing as a "health advisor" fleeces a desperate woman with fake remedies, leaving her condition to deteriorate dangerously—until the Racket Squad gets wind of a pattern of victims and moves to shut down his dangerous con. Written as a hard-hitting crime exposé, this story traces how the authorities use detective work and undercover tactics to catch a predatory quack before he can harm anyone else.

American servicemen on leave in Venice fall prey to a classic European con—a seemingly desperate soldier sells them what he claims are valuable Swiss watches at a bargain price, only for the two GIs to discover they've bought worthless fakes. When they report the scam to local police, they learn this racket has been working the continent for years, preying on tourists eager to strike a deal. Three months later, the investigation catches up with the con artists, bringing unexpected closure to the soldiers' costly lesson in European hustle.