Phony fire inspector attempting to scam Laguna Beach area businesses

The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce recently warned business owners to watch out for a fraudster posing as a fire inspector.

The impostor was driving a white truck bearing the words “fire department,” the Chamber wrote in a bulletin last month. The person claimed to be performing an inspection at a local business.

Real fire inspectors always wear a blue uniform and have badges as well as photo ID from the Laguna Beach Fire Department, officials said. They do not ask for payment or leave invoices for an inspection, and they don’t service fire extinguishers.

Phony inspector scams aren’t new and have been reported throughout Southern California. In one example from 2016, a Newport Beach man was charged with felony burglary and extortion after claiming to be a fire marshal and then swindling a Huntington Beach car audio business and other shops in Santa Ana and Anaheim.

Those approached by someone claiming to be an inspector for the fire department can try to verify credentials or report suspicious activity to the Fire Marshal’s office at (949) 497-0352.

Chamber officials reminded people to be wary of any service companies that show up unannounced. They also encouraged business owners to keep fire extinguishers marked with up-to-date tags and train their staff about code enforcement and to be wary of scammers.