Spring Hill Fire Chief Graig Temple is warning the public to beware of a scammer actively targeting Middle Tennessee.
On Thursday, August 3, 2023, the Spring Hill Fire Administration was alerted to a possible telephone scam in which businesses were being solicited to provide financial sponsorships to the “Spring Hill Fire Department” for ongoing fire prevention activities.
The Spring Hill Fire Department confirmed on Friday, August 4, after speaking with Paul Bohlander of Community Fire Stoppers in New Windsor, Illinois, that he was in fact fraudulently representing himself as a member of the Spring Hill Fire Department and was actively working to defraud businesses by having them purchase sponsorships between $500.00 and $1,250.00 for fire prevention activities.
Several weeks later, on August 24, Spring Hill Fire Administration was alerted to another victim — a business owner in Chapel Hill — who was taken advantage of by this same scammer.
Fire Chief Temple stated, “Municipal fire departments rarely, if ever, seek large financial sponsorships through third parties, and if a business has questions about the contribution, they should contact the fire department directly before issuing any payments.”
Anyone having been impacted by Community Fire Stoppers or Paul Bohlander is encouraged to contact their local Law Enforcement Agency and file a police report for fraud and theft.
