Phone scam threatens Oakland County restaurants with health inspections

Restaurant in Ferndale scammed for $200 on company credit card

FERNDALE, Mich. – The Oakland County Health Department released a phone scam alert Monday, warning restaurants not to fall prey to some crafty criminals threatening to bring the Health Department down on them.

The phone scam is everywhere, and while most people prepare for scam calls, they keep coming because they work. Scammers who make enough calls will find someone gullible or frightened enough to pay money.

Ferndale has several restaurants, including high-end options, franchise chains, independent businesses and local favorites.

But the businesses are on edge after a well-known restaurant was closed recently by the Health Department. So when the Health Department calls threatening an inspection, restaurants listen, giving phone scammers an opening, said Leigh Anne Stafford.

Stafford said one restaurant took the bait.

"When they called, they said it needed to be paid immediately or we would come out and do the inspection," Stafford said.

The scammers started small, only asking for $5 for a pre-inspection fee. But there's no such thing.

What the scammers really wanted was the restaurant's credit card number, and they got it.

The person who provided the information called the Health Department and said they had been scammed. They said there was $200 worth of charges on the credit card that weren't authorized.

The Health Department said so far only one of the phone scams has been reported, but they want to put the word out to prevent any more.

You can watch Rod Meloni's full story in the video posted above.


About the Authors:

Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Plannerâ„¢ Professional.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.