Prosecutors in Miami-Dade County are making some more headway in a phone scheme targeting elderly people around the country, arresting four suspects.

On Wednesday, the alleged ringleader, Alvaro Jaramillo Fajardo, appeared in court alongside co-defendants Nicole Foucher, Kerry Evenou and Igor Tashliyev.

Investigators claim Jaramillo was recruiting young people in the Aventura area as money mules that would use their own bank accounts to deposit allegedly stolen funds from elderly victims.

The victims would wire money after getting calls about a loved one in trouble who needed money immediately, authorities said.

Prosecutors said the scam is of national proportions.

“Mr. Jaramillo recruits through social media that he’ll pay $2,000 for money mules”, said special prosecutor Brenda Mezick in bond court Wednesday.

Prosecutors said as they continue their investigation, it could uncover even more defendants and alleged victims.

This was produced by Claudia DoCampo for NBC 6 South Florida.