Man scams Lawton resident by impersonating city employee

LAWTON, Okla. (AP) – Lawton officials say someone is scamming residents by impersonating a city employee.

Assistant City Manager Jim Russell says three residents in the past two weeks have been scammed out of money by a man wearing a jacket with a City of Lawton emblem.

The Lawton Constitution (http://bit.ly/23u3LB4 ) reports that the man tricked the three residents by telling them that their tall grass was going to result in fines, but that they could avoid the fees by paying $200 to mow their lawns.

Russell says legitimate fines for tall grass are issued in writing, not in person.

Russell says the city is planning to issue photo identification so that residents can identify genuine employees. Anyone working for the city is already required to wear a badge with a badge number.