Health Department Warns of Prank Calls About HIV
By: Danielle Todesco
Updated: February 9, 2009
The Lubbock Health Department says telling someone they've been infected with an STD is serious business, and it appears a prankster is trying to turn it into a joke.
They say someone is prank-calling people and telling them they are infected with HIV. The caller claims to be with the Lubbock Health Department and delivers the bogus bad news. But folks at the Health Department never release medical information over the phone. So if you get a similar call...don't panic. Officials believe there may actually be a reason someone is doing this.
Nancy Haney, Lubbock Health Department:
"Usually people are just angry at somebody. They've just broken up a with a girlfriend or boyfriend. We get these calls periodically usually about other kinds of STD's: Syphillis, Gonnorhea and that it's suually just anger and they're trying to get back at somebody."
Now, officials are contacting police to see if any criminal action can be taken.
