by Nick Delgado

Guam - The Department of Labor is warning local contractors not be duped by a man posing to be an employee in order to cash in by issuing fake fines. "We've discovered that there's a hidden imposter out there," said agency director George Santos.

Santos says over the past several weeks an unknown man has been calling contractors telling them they have several violations, and have to pay up immediately. "In this sense, he says, 'Hey, listen - if you give me some money then we will waive the fees', and therefore, that's the scam," he detailed.

DOL released audio to KUAM News with the suspect's voice, in which he goes to work pretending to be a DOL employee. The perpetrator tells the contractor he will waive or decrease the supposed fines if he does cheap labor for him:

Scammer: Then you come see me this weekend or Friday and you check my house and see how much you are going to charge me, but you don't charge me that much?

Contractor: Yeah, I can do that.

Scammer: Can you get the $800 today?

Contractor: Can I call you back in 30 minutes? I'm going to get the money first.

Scammer: But when you call you contact me at this number and not my office because if you call my office they are going to make you speak to another agent and then it's going to be very hard on you.

Contractor: Yeah, yeah, sir, what's your name again, sir?

Right where the audio cuts off the perpetrator mentions the name of an existing DOL staffer. Santos says they are working with the Guam Police Department to catch the suspect. He says contractors have gone so far as threatened the department with lawsuits after getting the fake calls. "All our fines and everything we do at DOL is in writing so we never try to make any oral forfeitures, its always in writing and the contractor has a chance to appeal whenever they are in disagreement with anything we impose on them and there's a payable receive we collect in the name of Treasury of Guam, so it's never to us. ," he said.

Meantime, all contractors are put on notice. "This is an alert to all our contractors and employers to please be advised that DOL wants to help employers and not trying to force and we certainly do not want to make any impositions that are not proper," said Santos.

Anyone with information about this is asked to call DOL, GPD or Crimestoppers at 477-HELP.