Police are warning the public about a phone scam that cost a Salina man $3,500.

Police Detective Sergeant David Villanueva tells KSAL News that a caller pretending to be a deputy with the Saline County Sheriff’s Office convinced the victim he had missed a couple of court dates and would be arrested if he did not pay a fine.

The scammer, who calls himself “Deputy John Turner” then directed the 51-year-old victim to purchase seven, $500 Visa gift cards and send him pictures of the codes.

Police say the scammer is able to mask his real phone number with a computer software that makes his call appear to be originating in Salina with a 785 area code.

Police reiterate that officers and deputies never call citizens to ask for payments of any kind.