FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — A Frankfort ice cream shop fell victim to a phone scam last week when a caller posing as a law enforcement officer manipulated an employee into wiring money to the scammer.
Angela VanNeste, owner of Hoggy's Ice Cream, said the caller claimed to be with the local sheriff's office and told the employee the store was involved in a counterfeit money investigation.
"He instructed her to go into a room and close the door so that's what she did while the other employee was working and so it was just very, very high pressure manipulation," VanNeste said.
The scammer then convinced the employee that VanNeste herself was on another line waiting for her to wire the money.
"He knew my name," VanNeste said.
The caller coached the employee through wiring the money at a local Dollar General and Speedway.
"He instructed her to take the money while the other employee was working," VanNeste said.
The VanNeste family had only owned Hoggy's since May, making the financial loss especially difficult.
"It's very tough, um, especially just starting out," VanNeste said.
Hoggy's filed a police report that night, but VanNeste said investigators offered little hope of recovering the money.
"This was most likely something that took — probably took place out of the country," VanNeste said.
Frankfort Police confirmed to Lex News that they are looking into the incident.
VanNeste is now urging other business owners to talk to their employees about how to handle similar calls.
"First and foremost talk to all of your employees and let them know to absolutely not do anything with money… without hanging up and calling the owner," VanNeste said.
Frankfort Police also warn that law enforcement will never call and instruct someone to move money over the phone.
