Fake Health Department Employee Selling Fake COVID-19 Certificates

Robert Moore

Herald Staff

rmoore@harrodsburgherald.com

Officials are warning the public about a woman selling fake COVID-19 certificates.

The woman is posing as an inspector with the Mercer County Health Department. She is offering special COVID-19 food service certificates for a cash fee.

According to Dep. Wes Gaddis of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, the woman is described as having dark blonde hair, drives a cream-colored Prius and was last seen wearing a royal blue scrub top and pants.

The woman, who is not an health department employee, is alleged to have sold a fake COVID-19 food service certificate to at least one local business.

There is no such thing as a COVID-19 food service certificate, said Kathy Crown-Weber, director of the Mercer County Health Department.

Crown-Weber said the department learned of the imposter when someone called to complain that a local business didn’t have the certificate. When Crown-Weber asked what she was talking about, the caller said the fake inspector had sold the fake certificate to another business for $32.

Crown-Weber said she then alerted the sheriff’s office as well as local businesses and other county health departments.

Once again, the Mercer County Health Department is not selling COVID-19 food service certificates. And if someone representing themselves as health department employees offer to sell you such a certificate, Crown-Weber’s advice is short, sweet and to the point.

“Don’t give this woman any money,” she said.

If you have any information about this case, call the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office at 734-4221.