Police Seek Public’s Help in Jobs Scam

Police are asking the public for help in finding a man posing as a county employee who has bilked at least two victims out of hundreds of dollars with the bogus promise of jobs.

Police are looking for other victims and anyone who can identify the man who calls himself “Mark,” a county worker who promises well-paying jobs but only after the job candidate supplies union dues.

“This guy is pretty smooth, so we think it’s likely that he’s still doing this and that there are other victims who were maybe too embarrassed to step forward and report the crime,” said Sgt. John Desmond, spokesman for the Newport Beach Police Department.

The man is described as a heavyset Latino in his 30s, 5 feet, 8 inches tall and 220 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, Desmond said.

A 19-year-old Orange man reported in January that he gave the man $334 for union dues that would allow him to begin a job as a county road worker, Desmond said. A 21-year-old Newport Beach man last week handed over $242 for a job, Desmond said.

Anyone who has been a victim of a similar fraud or has information about the man is asked to call Newport Beach police at (714) 644-3681.