The search is on in the Triangle as well as in Fayetteville for a phony fire inspector who is gaining access to businesses in order to steal things.
The fake fireman first showed up in Fayetteville about three months ago and this week was discovered pulling the same scam in Chapel Hill and Durham.
On Wednesday, the fake inspector showed up at an office building on Chapel Hill’s Sage Road, talking his way into several businesses where he had unsupervised access.
“After the person left the business owner became unsuspicious and placed a call to the fire marshal’s office here,” said Assistant Chapel Hill Fire Marshall Captain Dace Bergen.
Back on November, the Fayetteville Police and Fire departments posted an on-line crime alert using surveillance photos of a phony fire inspector working their city who had stolen a Rolex watch and other valuables after entering businesses to conduct so-called fire inspections.
After receiving complaints from the Chapel Hill business owner, the town’s fire marshall had Fayetteville officials send him their surveillance photos.
When the Fayetteville pictures were shown to the occupants of the Chapel Hill building, the fire marshal discovered it was the same suspect.
“It’s very frustrating to us because credibility is a major issue to any governmental organization,” said Captain Dace.
Fire officials in neighboring Durham also received complaints about a so-called fire inspector who was caught rifling a purse in a business he was supposedly inspecting in that city.
Durham police determined it was the same person who was seen in Fayetteville and Chapel Hill and released the surveillance photos as part of a crime-alert message.
For Durham fire officials, the incidents are frustrating.
“Our fire investigators/inspectors are here to help and we don’t want anyone to be frightened,” said Durham Fire Department Spokesperson Sierra Jackson.
Jackson said, in Durham fire inspectors never show up unannounced and always carry several things besides official ID.
“We always have radios with us,” she said.
“They also carry several forms,” explained Jackson. “One is the actual billing form because our inspectors never take any money. The other is the actual inspection form which will have information including the square footage of the building.”
Although Durham sends out its fire inspectors by appointment only, Chapel Hill inspectors may show up unannounced.
But, like other fire departments, Chapel Hill fire inspectors carry official ID and wear a uniform with a Chapel Hill Fire department logo.
Both the Durham and Chapel Hill fire departments also encourage anyone confronted by someone claiming to be a fire inspector to pick up the phone and call their respective fire department to check, before letting anyone into their business.
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