CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — An Illinois State Senator helped with hosting two senior fraud seminars in Central Illinois on Friday.

Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) alongside the Attorney General’s Office engaged with seniors in Danville and Champaign, guiding them on how to safeguard against scams. Presently, frequent scams aimed at seniors include impersonations involving tollway fees, PayPal accounts, and even calls made to sound like a family member.

However, according to Sen. Faraci, this is merely the beginning. He noted that scams are advancing with the rise of social media and artificial intelligence, and that seniors are significantly more susceptible to these frauds compared to other demographic groups.

Families can help protect loved ones by educating older family members on how to stay safe, but in today’s day and age, scams can happen to anyone.

“For some reason, these criminals are becoming more cunning and bold,” remarked Sen. Faraci. “They are deliberately going after those who are typically in their later years, and that is utterly unacceptable.”

Faraci recommends seniors let unknown calls go to voicemail, double check the sender of text messages, and don’t click unfamiliar links.

The state senator representing Champaign and Vermilion Counties said with social media and artificial intelligence, anyone can fall for a scam, including himself.

“My wife and I have been subjects of a scam, where we thought it was legitimate, we clicked on something and realized that was probably not the best move,” Sen. Faraci said. “So, I think the best thing, one of the biggest lessons I think that I’ve learned or had a conversation about is take a breath. If you see an email or you get a text or a call, think first that, unfortunately, maybe this isn’t legitimate.”

Faraci suggests if someone ever falls for a scam, to contact local law enforcement as soon as possible. The faster that happens, the less damage can occur to you as a result of a scam.

The seminars took place at Carle Administrative locations.