According to the Times-Republican, a man who claimed to be a detective called two restaurants in Marshalltown, Iowa Tuesday and asked for credit card numbers received from customers who had dined at the establishment.

He went by the moniker Detective Steven Henley, and was hoping to receive American Express, Mastercard or Visa card numbers used at the businesses in early June. The incident is still under investigation, but Police Chief Jack McAllister said the information was released to see if any other businesses received a similar call. He said that the call was placed from a private line, and is believed to have been made from outside of the area.

"We have people pulling fraud.s once in a while, but rarely is it someone identifying themselves as an officer," McAllister told the news source. He advised merchants to never give out credit card information over the phone.

Instances of credit card fraud. are on the rise, according to Javelin Strategy and Research. In 2008 identity theft cases jumped 22 percent, reaching 9.9 million cases. Those who are concerned about the security of their personal information should stop using credit cards altogether, and use safe payment methods when shopping online.