Bogus health inspectors calling restaurants in ‘scam,’ district warns

At least one person impersonating a health inspector is calling local restaurants, collecting personal information and claiming it is needed for an upcoming health inspection, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

Health district officials do not make phone calls about inspections. They show up unannounced and conduct them in person.

At least 25 businesses have reported the suspicious activity to police or the health district over the past six months, said Glenn Savage, the district’s director of environmental health.

“I think that it’s a scam that’s going on in our community,” Savage said. “People are asking for personal information and business information that has no correlation to what they are claiming.”

A health card is the only type of information for which an official health district inspector would ask.

The callers are typically asking for a name, Social Security number, credit card information and email addresses, he said.

If someone shows up to do an inspection, Savage said, restaurant employees should ask to see a photo ID and a business card or other material labeled “Southern Nevada Health District.” Restaurant owners also should call the health district or police if the situation seems suspicious.

“We find this to be very important, that we try to take care of this issue,” he said. “We don’t want people going in and suggesting they are our health inspectors and gaining information that could be used for identity theft or fraud.”

Savage said he’s unaware whether any of the suspicious calls have resulted in any type of fraud.

Contact Jessica Fryman at jfryman@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.