The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has warned the state restaurants against the fake people posing themselves as health inspectors and are inspecting these restaurants.

The Department of Health has provided the restaurants with a code number which the restaurant manager can use for identification purposes.

These fake inspectors are compelling restaurants and bars to purchase expensive posters, which could let them avoid violating a state regulation which actually doesn’t exist.

The Maryland Department of Health officials have also told the restaurant owner that the genuine food inspections or appointments are never scheduled by taking appointments over phone. Such practices are not adopted in the current operating system of food inspectors.

They also told the bar and restaurant owners that a real food inspector will never ask for a payment for posters or for on-the-spot fines.

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Department Secretary, said that none of the food inspectors is real and that is not the way how local health departments work with local food establishments.

The federal officials had reported many similar incidents from the state in the last two years.