Mt. Juliet, TN (WSMV) — The owner of a UPS store in Middle Tennessee recently stepped in to prevent an elderly customer from getting tricked into mailing thousands of dollars to a con artist.

The man went to the store on S. Mt. Juliet Road on Monday and requested to overnight $4,000 to bail a family member out of jail.

According to the Mt. Juliet Police Department, the scammer posed as an attorney from another state and told the man not to tell anyone about the money.

Store owner Myro Kuzman contacted detectives, who later determined it was a scam.

“It takes everyone in a community to keep it safe and protected,” said Police Chief James Hambrick in a news release. “This is a fine example of a community looking after each other, and Mr. Kuzman should be applauded for his efforts. His direct efforts saved the victim from losing a large amount of cash.”

Police are still working to identify and find the person behind the scam.

Here are some of the red flags police want you to know about:

Scammers typically focus on elderly victims. Usually, the request will involve a fake emergency situation that makes the victim think one of their relatives is in trouble. The con artist will ask for money to be sent immediately. Typically, the scammer will demand that the victim keep quiet about the money. Sometimes the scammer will claim to be an authority figure, like a police officer or lawyer.

Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission about how to deal if you get a call like this:

Check it out before you act. Look up that friend or family’s phone number yourself. Call them or another family member to see what’s happening, even if the person who contacted you told you not to. Don’t pay. Don’t wire money, send a check, overnight a money order or pay with a gift card or cash reload card. Anyone who demands payment in these ways is always, always, always a scammer. These payment methods are like giving cash and nearly untraceable unless you act almost immediately. If you sent money to a family emergency scammer, contact the company you used to send the money (wire transfer service, bank, gift card company or cash reload card company) and tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask to have the transaction reversed, if possible.