LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A phone scam used a Lexington woman's first name and then her middle name, claiming to be a person who needed her help.
"My name is Lynn Johnson I'm contacting you in regards to a case in the process of being filed through Broward County," the voicemail left on her phone said. "I've been instructed to make you aware that your name and number have been listed as a relative or an associate of Christine."
"In this particular case, it can be even scarier because they are using your name. Even though you have nothing to do with this other person's legal problems. So that's your first red flag, don't call back on somebody else's issue," said Heather Clary with the Better Business Bureau of Central and Eastern Kentucky.
The scammer left a phone number for the woman to call back.
The BBB advises googling the phone number that scammers leave in your voicemail.
"Chances are, you're going to see other people who have experienced the same thing,' said Clary.
A new Kentucky law passed last week that makes it illegal to solicit over the phone for advertising or representing governmental agencies, to request fees to remove info to improve credit history or records, to request or receive payments, to obtain payment of a check, or to engage in any unfair, false, misleading, or deceptive practices.
"This all goes back to our general advice of don't return calls you don't recognize," Clary said.
The BBB says people are also getting text scams.
"We urge people to never click on the links in them if you do not recognize who it's from chances are it leads you to a website that tries to steal your information. Could even download a virus on your device and steal your information that way. Just delete these. Do not respond," Clary told LEX 18.
The BBB also says that there is a scam in which someone claims to be calling from the Social Security Administration. They said those calls are fake and you should never give your social security information over the phone.
