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Pittsburgh Fire Bureau: 'Firefighter' Asking For Assistance Is An Impostor

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- They're brave men and women, risking their lives at times to save others.

But now, it seems someone is playing pretend, trying to trick people into believing he's a hero when he's really an impostor.

The picture has been shared now by hundreds of people.  The Pittsburgh Fire Bureau posted the photo on their Facebook page, saying that someone using the name "Ryan Jay" was claiming to be a city firefighter. 

The impostor, according to the bureau's post, says he was injured on the job and was asking for "assistance."

The bureau is confident he's using other Facebook pages as well and says this impostor is not and has never been a City of Pittsburgh firefighter.

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A spokesperson for the Public Safety Department would not comment further on the investigation, but a source says in the original post, the impostor was claiming to be a battalion chief, that he was injured and then demoted, and now is sick with cancer.

The source says the impostor was asking for money to be sent to an address.

The city is continuing its investigation, but says, "If you receive any request for donation from anyone claiming to be a member of, or representing the Pittsburgh Fire Bureau, we ask you to contact the Pittsburgh Fire Bureau for confirmation of the affiliation."

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