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Human remains found in Brandenburg last month have been identified.

The Brandenburg Police Department says the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office contacted the department Wednesday with a positive identification on the remains. The person was identified as Cheryl Smalarz of Brandenburg.

The BPD says Cheryl Smalarz was the listed victim in a missing person’s case the department was investigating. She was identified through dental records obtained as part of the investigation. The BPD says: “The preliminary cause of death is unknown and there are no signs of trauma or foul play.”

According to the previous release on the case, a Brandenburg resident discovered the remains in a field behind their home on the 1300 block of Old State Road on May 10. The BPD and the Meade County Coroner processed the scene and collected the remains, which were transported to the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office in Louisville.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is warning residents to be wary of an ongoing scam attempt. 

The KYTC says fraudulent text messages from scammers impersonating state agencies have been sent out with suspicious links meant to resemble Kentucky government agency websites.

The KYTC says: “The scam messages warn customers of unpaid traffic tickets and say that a ‘DMV violation’ will be reported and ‘driving privileges’ will be suspended if payment is not sent immediately.”

The KYTC does not collect traffic ticket fees and does not notify customers of traffic violations. If you receive one of these texts, do not click the link.

The KYTC says if you have provided any personal information, you should contact your bank immediately. Scams may be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Scams may also be reported to the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office at ag.ky.gov, and you can forward scam texts to 7726 to alert your mobile provider.