A man posing as a health inspector walked into the kitchen of an Asian restaurant on Buford Highway in Brookhaven, filmed himself criticizing staff, and posted the video online. The restaurant's management called police after he left.
The DeKalb County Board of Health issued a warning Tuesday, August 4, urging restaurants to verify credentials after the individual entered several kitchens across the county. Dr. Lynn Paxton, interim district health director and CEO of DeKalb Public Health, confirmed the man has no connection to the agency.
In video obtained by DeKalb Public Health, the man puts on gloves, inspects food items, examines produce in a refrigerator, and takes notes. He identifies himself as "Agent Black" and gives badge number 30303.
Paxton called the badge number meaningless.
"He was completely unprofessional in the things he said, he did and he looked at," Paxton told Atlanta News First. "It was clear that this was being done for clicks and likes and has nothing to do with actual public health practice."
The video shows the man accusing kitchen staff of cross-contamination and using profanity before telling them they were making people sick. The video has received tens of thousands of views, and the creator labeled it as being for entertainment purposes only.
Under Georgia law, impersonating a member of a county board of health is a misdemeanor. As of Tuesday, officials had not confirmed the individual's legal name, and it was unknown whether criminal charges had been formally filed.
DeKalb Public Health officials told Fox 5 Atlanta the creator has impersonated inspectors in other states and appears to target Asian businesses on his YouTube page. Authorities have not released the name of the Brookhaven restaurant shown in the video.
How to spot a legitimate inspector
Paxton urged restaurant owners and employees to take defensive steps if someone claiming to be an inspector arrives unannounced and behaves unprofessionally. Legitimate DeKalb Public Health inspectors:
- Always carry official photo identification
- Provide documentation after each visit, by email or physical copy
- Never accept money, free food, or drinks
Any restaurant owner who suspects an impersonator should ask for official photo ID and call DeKalb Public Health directly to confirm the person's employment before allowing access to the kitchen.
DeKalb Public Health continues to seek public help identifying the individual. No charges have been announced.
