LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. – The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is warning elderly citizens of a telephone scam requesting bail money from a supposed family member.

The scam involves citizens receiving a call from someone claiming to be a family member, specifically a granddaughter or grandson, and telling the citizen they’ve been arrested and need bail money.

Occasionally, the citizen receives another call from a person claiming to be a lawyer representing the arrested family member.

This second caller instructs the citizen to either send them a large amount of money, or meet them at a specified location, the sheriff’s office reports.

To avoid being scammed, the sheriff’s office instructs citizens to follow this list of tips from the Federal Trade Commission:

Block unwanted calls and text messages

Never give your personal or financial information in response to a request you didn’t expect

Resist the pressure to act immediately

Know how scammers tell you to pay

Stop and talk to someone you trust

For more information on how to avoid being scammed or to report a scam, visit this website.