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

Sen. Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) and the Attorney General’s Office talked to seniors in Danville and Champaign telling them how to stay safe from scams. Right now, common scams targeting seniors include strangers asking for tollway fees, PayPal balances and even calls pretending to be a loved one.

But Sen. Faraci said that’s just the tip of the iceberg. He said scams are evolving with social media and AI, but seniors are far more likely to fall victim to fraud than the rest of the population.

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 whatever reason, criminals are getting smarter, they’re getting more aggressive,” Sen. Faraci said. “They’re targeting people who are generally in their senior years, and that’s just completely 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.