A Lakewood city employee recently intervened to stop an elderly man from falling victim to a phone scam, according to the city’s Good News Blog. 

During a trip to a convenience store, Code Enforcement Officer Juan Bonilla-Acosta noticed a man on a phone call trying to find a gift card to purchase, according to an undated post referenced in a Christmas Day newsletter.

When Bonilla-Acosta stepped in to ask the man why he was trying to buy a gift card and if he needed help, the man told him his electric company had contacted him and told him his power would be shut off if he didn’t buy the gift card, the post says.

Bonilla-Acosta recognized the situation as a scam and recommended the man not purchase the gift card. He later reported the incident to a Lakewood Police officer in the area, who followed up with the man and confirmed he had been targeted for fraud, according to the post.

The post notes gift card scams have become common for scam artists, who demand people buy gift cards to resolve a nonexistent issue or crisis, such as money owed to the IRS or a relative who needs money to get out of jail.

The post says Bonilla-Acosta’s “quick thinking and intervention into a situation that didn’t look right exemplifies a level of excellence and a commitment to the meaning of public service.”