DES MOINES (SPECIAL) – The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) has issued a warning about a phony health inspector who is preying on Iowa food establishments by claiming that he needs an employee’s cell phone number to investigate a complaint. “The caller claims that he needs the employee’s cell phone number in order to prepare for the investigation,” DIA Director Dean Lerner said.

Casey’s General Store recently notified the Department that its two stores in Atlantic were contacted by an individual claiming he had received a complaint and asked for the clerk’s personal cell phone number in order to process the complaint. The phony inspector tells the clerk that they will receive another phone call and be provided with an inspection number. The phony inspector then calls the store back and asks for the inspection number and tells the clerk that he will be doing an inspection the next day between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Lerner said his office was contacted by the Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Division of Intelligence earlier this month alerting him of open source information regarding a similar scam occurring in the State of Washington. “It appears scammers are now using this same ploy in an attempt to victimize Iowans,” the Director explained.

Staff in DIA’s Food and Consumer Safety Bureau reported the phony inspector’s contact to the Public Safety Department for further investigation. Food establishment operators should never disclose any type of personal information about their employees without the appropriate justification.

“I urge owners and operators to contact their local health department or the Department of Inspections and Appeals for verification of a person’s identify if they have any doubts,” Lerner added.

Food establishment operators who are contacted by a health inspector asking for personal information prior to conducting a complaint investigation should contact their local law enforcement about a possible scam. Questions about a state food inspector’s identity should be directed to the Food and Consumer Safety Bureau at (515) 281-6538.