ANDERSON, Ind. — Madison County Sheriff Ron Richardson has warned the public to be on guard against a telephone scammer impersonating a sheriff’s department deputy.

Richardson said the attempted scam was reported around 10 p.m. Sunday.

“The caller identified himself as officer Jones of the Madison County Jail and the sheriff’s department,” Richardson said. “He called from a restricted phone and said he needed to verify credit card information to see if the person was a victim.”

The target of the scam, however, was a reserve officer with the sheriff’s department. When he identified himself as such, the caller hung up.

Richardson said his department includes no officer named Jones and encouraged citizens to record the name, unit number and employee number when dealing with an officer.

Furthermore, Richardson said, the sheriff’s department will never ask for credit card information over the phone, but only in person or through the mail.

“Theses people are very deceitful,” Richardson said. “They’re very good with conversations on the phone, they can make you believe they are truly a law-enforcement representative.”

Anyone who has been targeted by this scam or similar scams has been asked to contact Madison County Dispatch at 642-0221.