Authorities are warning restaurants to be on the lookout for phony phone calls in which callers pretend to be health inspectors, sometimes scheduling inspections.
The Colorado Department of Public Safety’s Colorado Information Analysis Center said in a release today that they have received about 20 reports of the scam calls — at least one or two per day.
According to the release, callers are asked to provide their own cell phone numbers, which authorities believe could open the door for further fraud.
During the calls, the callers have reportedly provided bogus call back numbers with 760, 303 and 970 area codes.
The Tri-County Health Department reminds businesses that inspections are not scheduled ahead of time, and are conducted twice a year. The only exceptions are if a business is new or if ownership has changed.
Other states are reporting the same scam calls. In California, some of the calls did lead to businesses giving money to the callers.
Restaurant owners who receive calls should report them to local law enforcements, health departments or to CIAC at 877-509-2422.
