DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Authorities in DeKalb County are seeking the public’s help to stop a man they say is impersonating a state health inspector, all for clicks and views.
Officials say the impersonator has visited numerous restaurants in the metro and across the country.
Each of these videos starts the same. The creator claims to be a state health inspector there for a routine inspection.
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However, once he gets to the back, he will start trying to find “violations,” sometimes blowing a whistle to highlight his point.
“I didn’t find it funny, not at all,” Lynn Paxton, Interim District Health Director for DeKalb Health District, told Channel 2’s Michael Doudna.
In almost every case, the creator targets Mexican or Asian restaurants, making jokes at their expense.
“Let’s go check out the freezer, make sure there are no cats and dogs in here...” the creator tells an Asian restaurant he visited.
Paxton says these videos are evidence of a crime that erodes trust.
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“This person is not really exposing anything; they’re doing it for their own gratification,” Paxton said.
A real inspector identifies issues and gets them fixed on the spot. If it’s not a quick fix, they set up follow-up appointments to make sure it gets corrected.
“It’s not a stunt, it’s not for clicks and views, it’s for public safety,” Paxton said.
Paxton says impersonating a state health inspector is a crime, and wants accountability in this case.
“Stop,” Paxton said, “it’s not helping anyone at all, and just find another job.”
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