A B737-300 PAX LATER IDENTED AS AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR RPTED A FASTENER MISSING FROM THE L PYLON. FLC ENTERED LOG RPT.

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A PAX CONTACTED A FLT ATTENDANT TO RPT AN APPARENT MISSING FASTENER ON AN INSPECTION PANEL AT THE L WING ENG PYLON. WHEN NOTIFIED OF THIS INFO; THE CAPT ASKED ME TO PROCEED TO THE CABIN FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION. I SPOKE WITH THE RPTING PAX AT LENGTH AND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME IDENTING THE AREA THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. EVENTUALLY I WAS SATISFIED THAT MY VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE L WING AND THE ENG PYLON RESULTED IN NO IDENTIFIABLE PROBS. I MADE A COMFORTING REMARK TO THE PAX LIKE 'OKAY THANKS' AND RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK. WHEN I RETURNED FROM THE VISUAL INSPECTION; I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT I MADE A THOROUGH VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AREA AND DID NOT IDENT ANY PROBS. I STATED TO THE CAPT THAT THE AREA LOOKED 'CLEAN' AND THAT IT APPEARED TO BE 'OKAY.' WE PROCEEDED NORMALLY TO ANC. UPON ARR IN ANC WE WERE INFORMED THAT AN INSPECTOR WITH THE FAA WANTED TO SPEAK WITH THE CAPT. THE FAA INSPECTOR SHOWED US HIS CREDENTIALS AND ASKED TO SEE MINE AND THE CAPT'S. WE COMPLIED. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE FAA INSPECTOR (LATER DETERMINED TO BE A MAINT INSPECTOR) WAS THE PAX THAT RPTED THE MISSING FASTENER TO THE FLT ATTENDANT. HE ALSO SPOKE TO ME DURING THE VISUAL INSPECTION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO IDENT THE DISCREPANCY. AT NO TIME DID HE IDENT HIMSELF TO ME AS AN FAA INSPECTOR OR FOR THAT MATTER AS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS SOME CREDIBLE AVIATION EXPERIENCE. UPON LEARNING OF HIS IDENT IN ANC WE SPOKE WITH HIM FURTHER ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY. HE STATED THAT HE STILL BELIEVED THAT THE FASTENER WAS MISSING. WE MADE A MAINT LOGBOOK WRITE-UP IMMEDIATELY THAT WAS HANDLED BY ANC MAINT (ACFT LOGBOOK PAGE).