Marion County Attorney Ed Bull says many ongoing scams across the country target the elderly.

One that recently appeared in Marion County is the grandson/granddaughter scam, in which a caller commonly poses as a person’s relative in trouble.

Bull says the con artist will use personal information to gain more via the phone by creating distress and asking direct questions that appeal to emotion.

He says from there, scammers will often pose as bail bondsmen or jailers, and ask for payments via prepaid credit card. Bull says the best way to protect against scams over the phone is to verify all callers, never divulge personal information, and avoid making untraceable payments when unsure of who is on the other end.