According to a March 29 Facebook post by the Granby Police Department, a community member recently almost lost upwards of $9,000 through an elaborate phone scam. He was asked to mail cash in between the pages of a bible via FedEx.

Luckily, a local store clerk caught this and called the Granby Police Department to file a report. Although this community member was spared from falling victim to the scam, many more scammers are on the lookout for vulnerable people.

The police department encourages residents to have conversations with their friends and family about how to spot red flags when scammers ask for money or personal information. When in doubt, or to report a scam, residents can also call the Granby police department at 970-887-3007.

Below are the police department’s recommendations to stay safe from scammers, who are becoming savvier with new technology.

• Spoofing: Never rely on caller ID to verify who’s calling. When spoofing, callers falsify information sent to caller ID to represent another trusted person or entity. This is a common tactic that scammers use to create a false sense of credibility.
• Verification requests: Beware of inbound calls, emails, and text messages asking to verify personal details or provide financial information. Residents should Google the organization (don’t use information the caller provides) and call them directly to see if the request is legitimate.
• Unsolicited links: Residents should avoid clicking links they didn’t ask to receive. These can install malicious software on devices. These links can also direct people to fake websites completely designed by scammers, which often look legitimate and are designed to mimic sites run by actual institutions.
• Urgency: If the caller is trying to rush the person into doing something, this is a warning sign. Real law enforcement, government organizations, and financial institutions will never call and force a person into immediate action.
• Gift cards: Scammers will call or text someone to demand that they purchase gift cards to pay off a debt or avoid trouble. The IRS, police, utility companies and banks don’t ask for payment in gift cards. Scammers will also impersonate friends or family members who ask for financial help through gift cards.
• Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency fraud is increasing steadily, and scammers often target people with little or no understanding of this marketplace. They might direct someone to move their life’s savings to a Bitcoin account for safekeeping. Also be extremely wary of unsolicited investors who promise to turn old-fashioned dough into a digital fortune. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.